Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Ziege | /ˈt͡siːɡə/ | feminine |
| Geiß | /ɡaɪ̯s/ | feminine |
| Bock | /bɔk/ | masculine |
| Goaß | feminine |
While Ziege is the general term for a goat, Bock specifically refers to a male goat. Ziege is the standard term for a female goat, whereas Bock is used for a male.
Which one should you use?
Geiß and its dialectal variant Goaß are also used to refer to the animal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Goaß is a dialectal form of Geiß used in certain southern German regions. In northern Germany, the informal term Zicke can refer to a female goat with an attitude. This term is also used humorously among friends to describe someone acting capricious or stubborn.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using 'goat' as an attributive noun (e.g., goat cheese), the word Ziege is typically combined into a compound noun as Ziegenkäse. The plural form of Ziege is Ziegen, the plural form of Bock is Böcke and the plural form of Zicke is Zicken.
How do you pronounce it?
Ziege is pronounced /ˈtsiːɡə/.
Did you know?
- The word Bock is used to describe a strong beer, which originates from the town of Einbeck. People in southern Germany mistakenly thought the town's name ended with the plural of the word for a male goat.
Examples in context
- Wir haben eine Geiß.We have a goat.This sentence is useful for saying that you possess a Geiß.Tatoeba #12455050 by Augustus, translation #8609402 by shekitten
- Ich melke meine Ziege.I am milking my goat.This sentence is useful for describing the action of milking a Ziege.Tatoeba #1714656 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1665631 by Amastan
- Ich mag keinen Ziegenkäse.I don't like goat cheese.This sentence shows how to use the compound noun involving Ziege.Tatoeba #6699231 by raulo_fulmotondro, translation #6694911 by CK
- Die Ziege ist ein Haustier, das seit langem von Menschen gehalten wird.The goat is a domestic animal that has been kept by humans for a long time.
- 44 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Laura are visiting a small farm.
- JulianSchau mal, dort steht eine kleine Ziege.Look, there is a small goat standing there.
- LauraDie Ziege sieht wirklich süß aus.The goat looks really cute.
- JulianSoll ich ihr etwas Futter bringen?Should I bring her some food?
- LauraJa, das würde sie bestimmt freuen.Yes, she would surely be happy about that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “goat” translations and entries Ziege, Geiß, Bock, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Bock, Geiß, Ziege, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
