Eisbär
/ˈaɪ̯sˌbɛːr/masculine
The English phrase "polar bear" is translated into German as Eisbär. If unsure, use Eisbär. Wiktionary also lists Polarbär.
Meaning: Ursus maritimus (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Eisbär | /ˈaɪ̯sˌbɛːr/ | masculine |
| Polarbär | /poˈlaːʁbɛːɐ̯/ /-beːɐ̯/ |
masculine |
The term refers to the animal Ursus maritimus.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Eisbär is a compound of Eis (ice) and Bär (bear).
Which one should you use?
Eisbär is the standard and most common term for the animal. Polarbär is much less common and often sounds more technical or specialized than Eisbär.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Eisbär is Eisbären.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈaɪ̯sˌbɛːr/
Did you know?
- In German, you might see the phrase Eisbär used in names of ice cream flavors or cold desserts, though it still refers to the bear. This happens because Eis means both 'ice' and 'ice cream'.
- German nouns like Eisbär are always capitalized, regardless of where they appear in a sentence, which is a rule that applies to all animals and objects.
- In German folklore and older literature, bears were often categorized by their habitats, making the 'ice' distinction in Eisbär a culturally significant way to separate them from 'forest bears'.
Examples in context
- Der Pinguin wurde von einem Eisbären gefressen.The penguin was eaten by a polar bear.Tatoeba #7010884 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6577111 by Hybrid
- Ein Polarbär ist ein rechteckiger Bär nach einer Koordinatentransformation.A polar bear is a rectangular bear after a coordinate transform.This sentence illustrates a specialized or technical use of Polarbär.Tatoeba #12393931 by Yorwba, translation #2097389 by sharptoothed
- Tatsächlich verbraucht der Eisbär bei allen Fortbewegungsarten doppelt so viel Energie wie die meisten anderen Säugetiere.In fact, to move at any speed the polar bear uses twice as much energy as do most other mammals.Tatoeba #630535 by samueldora, translation #265057 by papabear
- In einem Zoo kann man oft den majestätischen Eisbären bewundern.One can often admire the majestic polar bear in a zoo.
- Schau mal! Ein Bär im Schnee! Das muss wohl ein Eisbär sein.Look! A bear in the snow! That must be a polar bear.
- 2 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are at the zoo looking at the Arctic exhibit.
- SarahSiehst du den Eisbären dort drüben?Do you see the polar bear over there?
- MaximilianJa, der Eisbär ist wirklich groß.Yes, the polar bear is really big.
- SarahEr schwimmt gerade im Wasser.He is swimming in the water right now.
- MaximilianDas sieht sehr beeindruckend aus.That looks very impressive.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “polar bear” translations and entries Eisbär, Polarbär, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
