A comprehensive overview of German vocabulary for sea life, including terms for animals, plants, habitats, and related activities.
This guide covers essential German vocabulary related to sea life, spanning animals, plants, habitats, and human activities in the ocean. Whether you’re exploring marine biology or just expanding your vocabulary, this post has you covered.
Sea Creatures
Here are some common sea creatures in German, from tiny plankton to large whales:
| German Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Fisch / die Fische | fish / fishes | Der Fisch schwimmt im Wasser. | The fish swims in the water. |
| der Hai / die Haie | shark / sharks | Der Hai ist ein Raubfisch. | The shark is a predator. |
| die Qualle / die Quallen | jellyfish / jellyfishes | Die Qualle hat lange Tentakel. | The jellyfish has long tentacles. |
| der Krabbe / die Krabben | crab / crabs | Die Krabbe läuft am Strand entlang. | The crab walks along the beach. |
| die Seeschnecke / die Seeschnecken | sea snail / sea snails | Die Seeschnecke ist langsam. | The sea snail is slow. |
| der Wal / die Wale | whale / whales | Der Wal singt unter Wasser. | The whale sings underwater. |
| der Seestern / die Seesterne | starfish / starfishes | Der Seestern liegt auf dem Meeresboden. | The starfish lies on the seabed. |
| der Tintenfisch / die Tintenfische | squid / squids | Der Tintenfisch kann Tinte sprühen. | The squid can spray ink. |
Marine Plants
These are some common types of marine plants and algae in German:
| German Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| die Alge / die Algen | alga / algae | Die Algen wachsen auf den Steinen. | The algae grow on the rocks. |
| der Seegras / - | seagrass / - | Das Seegras bewegt sich im Wasser. | The seagrass moves in the water. |
| die Tang / - | seaweed / - | Der Tang wird oft gesammelt. | The seaweed is often harvested. |
Der ___ wird oft gesammelt.
What is the German word for 'seaweed'?
Tang
'Tang' is the German word for 'seaweed'. 'Seegras' is seagrass, 'Algen' are algae, and 'Seeschnecke' is a sea snail.
Ocean Habitats
Here are some important ocean habitats and related terms:
| German Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| das Korallenriff / die Korallenriffe | coral reef / coral reefs | Das Korallenriff ist farbenfroh. | The coral reef is colorful. |
| der Meeresboden / - | seabed / - | Auf dem Meeresboden leben viele Tiere. | Many animals live on the seabed. |
| die Tiefsee / - | deep sea / - | In der Tiefsee ist es sehr dunkel. | It is very dark in the deep sea. |
| die Gezeiten / - | tides / - | Die Gezeiten beeinflussen das Meer. | The tides affect the sea. |
Human Activities
These are some common German terms for human activities related to the sea:
| German Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| das Tauchen / - | diving / - | Ich gehe gerne tauchen. | I like to go diving. |
| das Fischen / - | fishing / - | Fischen ist eine alte Tradition. | Fishing is an old tradition. |
| die Meeresforschung / - | marine research / - | Die Meeresforschung ist wichtig. | Marine research is important. |
| die Küste / die Küsten | coast / coasts | Die Küste ist felsig. | The coast is rocky. |
| das Schiff / die Schiffe | ship / ships | Das Schiff fährt über das Meer. | The ship sails across the sea. |
Ocean Phenomena
These terms describe some natural phenomena you might encounter at sea:
| German Singular/Plural | English Singular/Plural | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| die Ebbe / - | low tide / - | Bei Ebbe sieht man den Meeresboden. | At low tide you can see the seabed. |
| die Flut / - | high tide / - | Die Flut bringt viele Fische mit. | The high tide brings many fish. |
| der Meeressturm / die Meeresstürme | sea storm / sea storms | Ein Meeressturm ist sehr gefährlich. | A sea storm is very dangerous. |
| die Welle / die Wellen | wave / waves | Die Wellen sind heute hoch. | The waves are high today. |
This concludes the overview of German sea life vocabulary.
Bei ___ sieht man den Meeresboden.
What is the German word for 'low tide'?
Ebbe
'Ebbe' means low tide. 'Flut' is high tide, 'Sturm' is storm, and 'Welle' means wave.
Flashcards (1 of 24)
- English Singular/Plural: fish / fishes
- English Example: The fish swims in the water.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
