Pfote
/ˈpfoːtə/feminine
The German word for paw is Pfote.
Pfote refers to the soft foot of an animal. For example, you can use the compound noun Pfotenabdruck to say paw print.
Meaning: soft foot of an animal (noun)
Which one should you use?
Use Pfote when referring to animals, whereas Fuß is used for a human foot.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria and Bavaria, the affectionate term Tatzerl is commonly used for a paw.
How does it change in a sentence?
Pfote is a feminine noun. The plural form is Pfoten.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpfoːtə/
Did you know?
- The word Pfote can be used metaphorically to describe a person's hand if it is particularly large, clumsy or heavy. This is similar to calling someone 'ham-fisted' in English.
- Historically, the spelling of Pfote was an 'inadequate adaptation' that forced the 'pf' sound into the word to match regional speech patterns.
- The term Tatze is a common synonym for Pfote, but it often carries a more aggressive or 'claw-like' connotation. It is frequently used in idioms to describe grabbing something greedily.
Examples in context
- Cookie steckt ihre Pfote unter der Tür durch.Cookie's sticking her paw under the door.This sentence shows how to use Pfote when an animal is sticking its paw under a door.Tatoeba #13988274 by Vortarulo, translation #13988258 by rul
- Der Hund kläffte, als ich ihm auf die Pfote trat.The dog gave a yelp when I trod on its paw.This sentence describes the reaction of a dog when someone treads on its Pfote.Tatoeba #12441248 by Yorwba, translation #246900 by rul
- Toms Hund hat mit seinen Pfoten überall auf dem neuen Teppich schmutzige Spuren hinterlassen.Tom's dog left muddy paw prints all over his new carpet.This sentence demonstrates how to describe muddy tracks left by Pfoten.Tatoeba #4561913 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #4446914 by patgfisher
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julian and Hannah are grooming their dog together.
- JulianKannst du bitte seine Pfote halten?Can you please hold his paw?
- HannahJa, ich halte sie fest.Yes, I am holding it firmly.
- JulianJetzt kann ich die Pfote schneiden.Now I can clip the paw.
- HannahEr ist heute sehr ruhig.He is very calm today.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “paw” translations and entries Pfote, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Pfote, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
