Seekuh
/ˈzeːˌkuː/feminine
The German term for sea cow is Seekuh.
Seekuh is a noun used to refer to a sirenian.
Meaning: sirenian (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound where the second part, Kuh, means 'cow'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine singular form is Seekuh. To indicate possession, use the genitive singular form der Seekuh (of the sea cow). The plural form is Seekühe.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈzeːˌkuː/
Did you know?
- In some contexts, the word Seekuh can be used to refer to a hippopotamus instead of a sirenian.
- The German word for 'sea' used here is See, which is a linguistic oddity because it can mean both 'sea' and 'lake' depending on the context and gender.
- Because the word Kuh is grammatically feminine, a German speaker must use feminine articles and adjectives when referring to a Seekuh even if the animal is biologically male.
Examples in context
- Die Seekuh lebt in tropischen Gewässern.The sea cow lives in tropical waters.
- Die Seekuh lebt im warmen Wasser.The sea cow lives in warm water.
- Ich habe eine Seekuh im Fernsehen gesehen.I saw a sea cow on TV.
- Ist das eine Seekuh?Is that a sea cow?
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are watching a nature documentary together.
- LukasSchau mal, dort schwimmt eine Seekuh!Look, a sea cow is swimming there!
- SarahOh, sie sieht sehr friedlich aus.Oh, she looks very peaceful.
- LukasJa, die Seekuh frisst nur Algen.Yes, the sea cow only eats algae.
- SarahDas ist wirklich ein faszinierendes Tier.That is a truly fascinating animal.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sea cow” translations and entries Seekuh, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Seekuh, CC BY-SA 4.0.
