Krähe
/ˈkʁɛːə/feminine
The German word for crow is Krähe. Wiktionary also lists Krähenvogel.
Meaning: any bird of the genus Corvus (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Krähe | /ˈkʁɛːə/ (standard) /ˈkʁeːə/ |
feminine |
| Krähenvogel | masculine |
The word refers to any bird belonging to the genus Corvus. German speakers often distinguish between a Krähe (crow) and a Rabe (raven).
Which one should you use?
Krähe is the common word for a crow, whereas Krähenvogel is a more formal or scientific way to refer to the bird as a member of the crow family.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Krähe is a feminine noun. Its plural form is Krähen. Krähenvogel is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkʁɛːə/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the verb krähen (to crow like a rooster) when they actually mean krächzen (to caw like a crow).
Did you know?
- In German folklore, the Krähe is often seen as a symbol of wisdom and cunning, but it can also be a harbinger of bad luck depending on the region.
- The German word Krähe shares the same ancient roots as the English word 'crow', both tracing back to a Proto-Indo-European word meaning 'to scream' or 'to creak'.
- In German idioms, a Krähe is sometimes used to describe someone who is loud and grating, mirroring the bird's harsh voice.
Examples in context
- Die Krähe flog weg.The crow flew away.This sentence shows the subject Krähe in a simple past tense context.Tatoeba #1698513 by al_ex_an_der, translation #49598 by CK
- Laut krächzte die Krähe.The crow cawed loudly.This sentence uses Krähe to describe the bird's vocalization.Tatoeba #959996 by Sudajaengi, translation #8836888 by sundown
- Der Hund knurrte die Krähe an.The dog growled at the crow.This sentence illustrates the use of Krähe as an object in a sentence.Tatoeba #6971488 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6963662 by Eccles17
- Die Krähe fliegt über die Felder.The crow is flying over the fields.
- Ich habe gestern eine große Krähe beobachtet.I observed a big crow yesterday.
- Schau mal, da fliegt ein Rabe!Look, there's a crow flying!
- Die Raben sind kluge Vögel.Crows are intelligent birds.
- 30 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Maximilian are walking in a park.
- JuliaSiehst du die schwarze Krähe dort?Do you see the black crow there?
- MaximilianJa, ich sehe die Krähe auf dem Baum.Yes, I see the crow on the tree.
- JuliaSie sieht sehr intelligent aus.She looks very intelligent.
- MaximilianDas stimmt, Krähen sind sehr schlau.That's true, crows are very smart.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “crow” translations and entries Krähe, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Krähe, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
