Karpfen
/ˈkarpfən/masculine
The English word "carp" is translated into German as Karpfen.
Karpfen refers to any of various freshwater fish belonging to the Cyprinidae family.
Meaning: any of various freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Karpfen is masculine. In this language, the singular form of the noun is identical to its plural form.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkarpfən/
Did you know?
- In Germany, it is a Christmas Eve tradition in some regions to keep a live Karpfen in the bathtub until it is prepared for the holiday meal.
- The word Karpfen is a linguistic rebel because it is the only word in modern standard German where the consonant cluster '-rpf-' has not been simplified to '-rf-'.
- German folklore sometimes links serving Karpfen during the winter solstice with bringing luck and prosperity to the household.
Examples in context
- Im Teich sind Karpfen.There are carp in the pond.This sentence shows where Karpfen can be found.Tatoeba #11572483 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2297266 by Hybrid
- Tom hat einen Karpfen gefangen.Tom caught a carp.This sentence describes catching a Karpfen.Tatoeba #7046699 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7043468 by Eccles17
- Dieser Teich hat viele Karpfen.This pond has a lot of carp.This sentence describes the quantity of Karpfen in a pond.Tatoeba #8718174 by foamy, translation #2334860 by CK
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a local fish market.
- HannahSind diese Karpfen hier frisch?Are these carp here fresh?
- FelixJa, die Karpfen wurden heute Morgen gefangen.Yes, the carp were caught this morning.
- HannahGut, ich nehme zwei Karpfen.Good, I will take two carp.
- FelixGerne, ich packe sie für Sie ein.Gladly, I will pack them for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “carp” translations and entries Karpfen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Karpfen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
