German · Nature, Animals & Weather
"Dog" in German: Hund
der Hund
Dog in German is der Hund, a masculine noun. The plural is die Hunde, a female dog is die Hündin, and a puppy is der Welpe. Small children often say der Wauwau, the German version of "doggy".
In the park
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How to pronounce Hund
Say it
HOONT
/hʊnt/
Say HOONT, with a short u like in "book". The d at the end sounds like a t, so Hund sounds a lot like English "hunt" with a rounder vowel. In the plural Hunde, the d is a real d: HOON-deh.
"Dog" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| der Hund | dog The default word, for any dog, male or female. | The default word, for any dog, male or female. |
| die Hündin | female dog When you want to say the dog is female. | When you want to say the dog is female. |
| der Welpe | puppy A young dog. The plural is die Welpen. | A young dog. The plural is die Welpen. |
| das Herrchen / das Frauchen | dog's owner (male / female) Affectionate words for the person a dog belongs to. | Affectionate words for the person a dog belongs to. |
| der Wauwau | doggy Baby talk, from the sound a dog makes. | Baby talk, from the sound a dog makes. |
How to use Hund in real life
- 1In the park
Darf ich deinen Hund streicheln?
May I pet your dog?
As the object, der Hund becomes deinen Hund. Asking first is polite.
- 2Talking about pets
Wir haben einen Hund und zwei Katzen.
We have a dog and two cats.
Haben takes the accusative, so ein Hund becomes einen Hund.
- 3Reading a sign
Bitte Hunde an der Leine führen.
Please keep dogs on a leash.
Die Leine is the leash. You will see this sign in parks and nature areas.
Mistakes English speakers make with Hund
Incorrect: Ich habe ein Hund.
Correct: Ich habe einen Hund.
Hund is masculine, and after haben it takes the accusative: einen Hund.
Incorrect: Der Hund isst sein Futter.
Correct: Der Hund frisst sein Futter.
For animals, German uses fressen, not essen. Das Futter is animal food.
Good to know
In Germany, dog owners pay a yearly tax to their town, called die Hundesteuer. You will often see dogs in cafés, restaurants, shops, and on trains. The owner is the dog's Herrchen or Frauchen, and people really do say things like Komm zu Frauchen! (Come to your owner!).
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting a dog in the Englischer Garten in Munich
ChatPal
Keine Sorge, mein Hund ist ganz lieb.
Don't worry, my dog is really friendly.
You
Er ist so süß! Was für ein Hund ist das?
He's so cute! What kind of dog is that?
ChatPal
Ein Dackel. Er heißt Fritz und ist schon zehn.
A dachshund. His name is Fritz and he's already ten.
You
Ich hätte auch gern einen Hund, aber meine Wohnung ist zu klein.
I'd love a dog too, but my apartment is too small.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Dog" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Dog" in German
Is Hund masculine or feminine?
Hund is masculine: der Hund. It stays masculine even for a female dog. If you want to stress that she is female, say die Hündin.
What sound does a dog make in German?
German dogs say wau wau, or sometimes wuff. That is where the baby word Wauwau comes from. The verb for barking is bellen: Der Hund bellt.
What is a Dackel?
Der Dackel is the everyday German word for a dachshund. Dachshund itself is German and means "badger dog", because the breed was used to hunt badgers (der Dachs).
Do you say er or es for a dog?
Use er, because der Hund is masculine: Wie alt ist er? For a female dog, many owners say sie. That is why people ask Beißt er? (Does it bite?) about a dog they don't know.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
