This page teaches you German sea life vocabulary. For each word, we provide the plural form and the English translation, covering a range of sea creatures and related terms.
Sea Animals
These are common German words for animals you might find in the sea, along with their plural forms and English translations.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Fisch | die Fische | fish | fish/fishes |
| der Hai | die Haie | shark | sharks |
| der Wal | die Wale | whale | whales |
| die Qualle | die Quallen | jellyfish | jellyfish |
| der Krabbe | die Krabben | crab | crabs |
| der Seestern | die Seesterne | starfish | starfish |
| der Tintenfisch | die Tintenfische | squid | squid |
| der Oktopus | die Oktopusse | octopus | octopuses |
| die Meeresschildkröte | die Meeresschildkröten | sea turtle | sea turtles |
| der Seepferdchen | die Seepferdchen | seahorse | seahorses |
Marine Terms
Here are some general terms related to the sea and ocean environment in German, along with their English meanings.
| German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| das Meer | — | sea | — |
| der Ozean | die Ozeane | ocean | oceans |
| die Küste | die Küsten | coast | coasts |
| der Strand | die Strände | beach | beaches |
| die Welle | die Wellen | wave | waves |
| der Meeresboden | — | seabed | — |
| die Meeresflora | — | marine flora | — |
| die Meeresfauna | — | marine fauna | — |
| das Korallenriff | die Korallenriffe | coral reef | coral reefs |
| das Salzwasser | — | saltwater | — |
Sea Life Verbs
Speaking about sea life also involves some common German verbs related to swimming, diving, and observing marine animals.
| German Infinitive | English Infinitive | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| schwimmen | to swim | Der Fisch schwimmt im Meer. | The fish swims in the sea. |
| tauchen | to dive | Ich tauche im Ozean. | I dive in the ocean. |
| beobachten | to observe | Wir beobachten die Delfine. | We observe the dolphins. |
| jagen | to hunt | Der Hai jagt seine Beute. | The shark hunts its prey. |
| schwimmen gehen | to go swimming | Wir gehen im Meer schwimmen. | We go swimming in the sea. |
I dive in the ocean. — tauche, taucht, or tauchen?
tauche
Ich (I) takes the -e ending: tauche (I dive).
Useful Phrases
These common German phrases include some of the sea life vocabulary you’ve learned and can help you talk about marine topics.
| German Phrase | English Translation |
|---|---|
| Ich liebe Meerestiere. | I love sea creatures. |
| Hast du schon einen Wal gesehen? | Have you ever seen a whale? |
| Das Korallenriff ist wunderschön. | The coral reef is beautiful. |
| Im Sommer gehen wir am Strand spazieren. | In summer, we walk along the beach. |
| Die Quallen sind durchsichtig. | The jellyfish are transparent. |
Hast du schon einen Wal gesehen?
Have you ever seen a whale?
Einen Wal is 'a whale'; schon means 'already' or 'ever' here; gesehen is 'seen.'
Summary
- German singular and plural forms are often different, and plurals commonly end in -e, -en, or -n.
- German nouns have genders (der, die, das) that must be learned along with the word.
- Articles change in plural form: singular der/die/das becomes die plural.
- Some plurals are irregular and must be memorized (e.g., der Hai → die Haie).
- German compound nouns combine words into one (e.g., die Meeresschildkröte = sea + life + turtle).
- Use context and gender articles to identify singular vs. plural in German.
How can you tell singular from plural in a German noun if the word is the same?
By looking at the article: singular (der/die/das), plural (die).
Singular nouns use der/die/das; plural forms use die, even if the noun spelling doesn’t change.
Flashcards (1 of 30)
- English Singular: fish
- English Plural: fish/fishes
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
