Elefant
/eləˈfant/masculine
The English word elephant is translated into German as Elefant. If unsure, use Elefant. Wiktionary also lists Elefantenbulle and Elefantin.
Meaning: mammal (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Elefant | /eləˈfant/ | masculine |
| Elefantenbulle | masculine | |
| Elefantin | feminine | |
| Elefantenkuh | feminine | |
| Elefantenkalb | neuter | |
| Elifant | Alemannic German, masculine |
The standard and most common way to say elephant is Elefant. In informal contexts, you may also hear the term Rüsseltier.
What does it mean word for word?
The informal term Rüsseltier literally means trunked animal.
Which one should you use?
While Elefant is the general term for the animal, German has specific forms to denote gender and age: Elefantenbulle refers specifically to a bull elephant, Elefantenkuh refers to a cow elephant and Elefantenkalb refers to a baby elephant.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Alemannic-German regions, you may encounter the dialectal spelling Elifant.
How does it change in a sentence?
Elefant is a masculine noun, so it uses the masculine article der in the nominative case. The plural form of Elefant is Elefanten.
How do you pronounce it?
/eləˈfant/
Did you know?
- The German word Elefant is a 'relatinisation', meaning it was intentionally changed over time to look more like the Latin 'elephantus' than its original Germanic form.
- In German, the word Elefant can be used as a metaphor for a person who is clumsy or lacks delicacy in their movements.
- While Rüsseltier is an informal term for an elephant, the word Rüssel is also used colloquially to refer to a person's nose.
Examples in context
- Wo ist mein Elefant?Where's my elephant?This sentence shows how to ask for the location of your Elefant.Tatoeba #7821682 by tiuwiu, translation #3400315 by _undertoad
- Der Elefant ist grau.The elephant is grey.This sentence describes the color of an Elefant.Tatoeba #1253655 by Tlustulimu, translation #819042 by sundown
- Kann ein Elefant niesen?Can an elephant sneeze?This sentence uses Elefant to ask about a physical ability.Tatoeba #3786987 by Tlustulimu, translation #9589173 by Rawrren
- Der Elefant ist das größte Landsäugetier.The elephant is the largest land mammal.
- Elefanten haben eine enorme Körperkraft.Elephants have enormous physical strength.
- Wir haben gestern im Zoo einen Elefanten gesehen.We saw an elephant in the zoo yesterday.
- Die Kinder waren begeistert von den dicken Elefanten im Zirkus.The children were excited about the fat elephants in the circus.
- 89 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A mother and son are looking at a picture book in a zoo.
- MaximilianSchau mal, ein Elefant!Look, an elephant!
- JuliaJa, der Elefant ist sehr groß.Yes, the elephant is very big.
- MaximilianHat er auch einen Rüssel?Does he also have a trunk?
- JuliaJa, jeder Elefant hat einen Rüssel.Yes, every elephant has a trunk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “elephant” translations and entries Elefant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Elefant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
