Vogel
/ˈfoːɡəl/masculine
The German word for bird is Vogel.
The term Vogel is used to refer to the animal. If you are referring specifically to a pigeon, you would use Die Taube.
Meaning: animal (noun)
Which one should you use?
Vogel is the singular masculine form, while Die Vögel is the plural form used to refer to multiple birds.
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural Vögel, an umlaut is added to the vowel 'o'. The genitive singular form, which is used to indicate possession (such as bird's or of the bird), is Vogels.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈfoːɡəl/
Did you know?
- The German expression 'einen Vogel haben' literally translates to 'to have a bird', but it is used to say someone is crazy.
- The English word 'fowl' is actually a distant linguistic relative of the German Vogel.
- In German, the term Vogel can be used metaphorically to describe a person who is acting strangely or is considered a 'crackpot'.
Examples in context
- Ist es ein Vogel?Is it a bird?This sentence is useful for asking if a specific animal is a Vogel.Tatoeba #3298328 by pne, translation #3153410 by shekitten
- Es ist ein Vogel.It is a bird.This sentence is useful for stating that an animal is a Vogel.Tatoeba #3315660 by Trinkschokolade, translation #3153415 by Alkrasnov
- Der Vogel ist tot.The bird is dead.This sentence is useful for describing the state of a Vogel.Tatoeba #2030482 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2030140 by Spamster
- Schau mal, da sitzt ein Piepmatz auf dem Zaun.Look, there's a bird sitting on the fence.
- 295 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Maximilian and Julia are walking in a park.
- MaximilianSiehst du den blauen Vogel?Do you see the blue bird?
- JuliaJa, der Vogel ist wunderschön.Yes, the bird is beautiful.
- MaximilianEr singt sehr laut.He is singing very loudly.
- JuliaDas stimmt, er ist sehr aktiv.That's true, he is very active.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bird” translations and entries Vogel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Vogel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
