Spinne
/ˈʃpɪnə/feminine
The German word for spider is Spinne.
Spinne is the standard noun used to refer to the arthropod known as a spider.
Meaning: arthropod (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Spinne is a feminine noun. The definite article is die Spinne (the spider) and the indefinite article is eine Spinne (a spider). In the genitive singular, you use der Spinne for "of the spider" and einer Spinne for "of a spider". To form the plural, use Spinnen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈʃpɪnə/
Did you know?
- In German, the word Spinnen can also be used as a verb meaning 'to be crazy' or 'to talk nonsense'.
- The word Spinnerei refers both to a textile spinning mill and to a childish or foolish whim.
- If you call someone a Spinner in German, you are calling them a 'crackpot' or someone who has 'spun' a wild, unrealistic idea.
Examples in context
- Die Spinne ist tot.The spider is dead.This example shows how to describe the state of the Spinne.Tatoeba #2975429 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1463099 by Spamster
- Ist das eine Spinne?Is that a spider?This example is useful for asking if an object is a Spinne.Tatoeba #9122639 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #6472067 by Hybrid
- Ich tötete die Spinne.I killed the spider.This example demonstrates the action of killing a Spinne.Tatoeba #12398964 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #8791200 by Amastan
- Entschuldigen Sie bitte, aber da ist eine Spinne an Ihrer Wand. Möchten Sie, dass ich sie entferne?Excuse me, but there's a spider on your wall. Would you like me to remove it?
- Pass auf, da ist eine Spinne auf deiner Schulter!Watch out, there's a spider on your shoulder!
- Oh, schau mal, da krabbelt ein kleiner Achtbeiner über den Boden!Oh, look, there's a little eight-legger crawling on the floor!
- 80 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are walking in the garden.
- SarahSchau mal, eine Spinne!Look, a spider!
- MaximilianWo ist die Spinne?Where is the spider?
- SarahSie ist dort auf dem Blatt.It is there on the leaf.
- MaximilianOh, die Spinne ist sehr klein.Oh, the spider is very small.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spider” translations and entries Spinne, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
