Fledermaus
/ˈfleːdɐˌmaʊ̯s/feminine
The German word for bat is Fledermaus.
Fledermaus is the common noun used to refer to the small flying mammal.
Meaning: small flying mammal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of flattern (to flutter) and Maus (mouse).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Fledermaus is a feminine noun, meaning it takes the definite article die. The plural form is Fledermäuse, which features a vowel change from au to äu.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfleːdɐˌmaʊ̯s/
Did you know?
- In German, the concept of 'blind as a bat' is expressed as blind wie ein Maulwurf, meaning 'blind as a mole'.
- Unlike English, where 'bat' is a homonym for sports equipment, the German Fledermaus has no connection to the word for a baseball bat, which is Schläger.
- The word Fledermaus appears as a recurring motif in German Romantic literature and opera to symbolize the transition between the waking world and the world of dreams.
Examples in context
- Ist das eine Fledermaus?Is that a bat?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific animal is a Fledermaus.Tatoeba #660326 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #67124 by CK
- Das ist eine Fledermaus.This is a bat.This sentence is useful for identifying a bat as a Fledermaus.Tatoeba #12450426 by Waldelfe, translation #9176947 by CK
- Ist das ein Vogel oder eine Fledermaus?Is that a bird or a bat?This sentence is useful for distinguishing a Fledermaus from a bird.Tatoeba #12086742 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #12086246 by CK
- Ich habe gestern eine Fledermaus im Garten gesehen.I saw a bat in the garden yesterday.
- Der Zoo hat viele exotische Nachttiere, einschließlich Fledermäuse.The zoo has many exotic nocturnal animals, including bats.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are watching animals in the garden at dusk.
- HannahSchau mal, dort fliegt eine Fledermaus!Look, there flies a bat!
- LukasWo? Ich sehe sie nicht.Where? I don't see it.
- HannahDie Fledermaus fliegt jetzt ganz nah vorbei.The bat is flying right past us now.
- LukasWow, die ist wirklich schnell!Wow, it is really fast!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bat” translations and entries Fledermaus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
