wau
/vaʊ̯/
The German way to express the English phrase "woof" is wau. Wiktionary also lists wuff.
Meaning: the sound of a dog barking (intj)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| wau | /vaʊ̯/ |
| wuff |
These words are onomatopoeic representations of the sound a dog makes when barking.
Which one should you use?
wau is the standard and most common way to represent a dog's bark in German. wuff is an alternative onomatopoeia that often sounds slightly softer or more muffled than wau.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/vaʊ̯/
Did you know?
- The German language distinguishes the 'bark' of a dog from the 'bark' of a tree, which is Rinde. English uses the same word 'bark' for both, but German uses completely different roots for the sound and the plant skin.
- When imitating a dog, German speakers almost always repeat the sound as wau wau rather than saying the word just once, as repetition is the cultural standard for this onomatopoeia.
- While dogs say wau in German, the word for a dog's bark as a noun is das Bellen. This means a German speaker describes the act of barking using a verb-based noun rather than the onomatopoeia itself.
Examples in context
- Der Hund macht „wau-wau”.The dog goes "woof-woof".This sentence shows how to use the form wau to describe the sound a dog makes.Tatoeba #7149058 by manese, translation #8574698 by sundown
- „Wau, wau, wau, wau!“ – „Recht hast du, Bello!“"Woof! Woof, woof, woof!" "You tell 'em, Cookie!"This example illustrates a person responding to the sound of a dog using wau.Tatoeba #12752109 by Waldelfe, translation #12486897 by Miktsoanit
- Wau, wau, wau!Woof, woof, woof!This is a simple repetition of the onomatopoeia wau.Tatoeba #8598445 by Roujin, translation #1636266 by fengli
- Hören Sie, wie der Hund im Garten wufft.Listen to how the dog is barking in the garden.
- Der kleine Hund kläfft den Briefträger an.The small dog is barking at the mailman.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are playing with a puppy.
- HannahHör mal, der kleine Hund sagt wau!Listen, the little dog is saying woof!
- LukasJa, er ist wirklich sehr laut.Yes, he is really very loud.
- HannahWau, wau! Komm her, kleiner Hund!Woof, woof! Come here, little dog!
- LukasIch glaube, er will mit uns spielen.I think he wants to play with us.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woof” translations and entries wau, wuff, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
