German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Dolphin" in German: Delfin

der Delfin

Say it: del-FEENmasculine · der Delfinnoun/dɛlˈfiːn/

Dolphin in German is der Delfin. Plural is die Delfine. You may also see Delphin with ph in older or scientific spelling.

Boat trip

Ein Delfin springt neben dem Boot.
A dolphin is jumping beside the boat.
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How to pronounce Delfin

Say it

del-FEEN

/dɛlˈfiːn/

del-FEEN. Stress FEEN. Soft final n.

"Dolphin" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Delfinthe dolphin

Standard modern spelling.

die Delfinethe dolphins

Plural.

Delphindolphin (ph spelling)

Older/scientific variant.

Delfinshowdolphin show

Attraction compound.

How to use Delfin in real life

  1. 1Boat trip

    Ein Delfin springt neben dem Boot.

    A dolphin is jumping beside the boat.

    Ein Delfin.

  2. 2Kids' book

    Die Kinder malen einen blauen Delfin.

    The kids are drawing a blue dolphin.

    Einen Delfin.

  3. 3Nature film

    Die Delfine jagen gemeinsam Fische.

    The dolphins hunt fish together.

    Plural Delfine.

Mistakes English speakers make with Delfin

Incorrect: das Dolphin

Correct: der Delfin

Use Delfin, masculine.

Incorrect: die Delfin

Correct: der Delfin / die Delfine

Singular der Delfin; plural die Delfine.

Good to know

Both Delfin and Delphin appear in Germany; schoolbooks increasingly prefer Delfin. Coastal towns sell Delfin souvenirs even when sightings are rare.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Watching a marine documentary

  1. ChatPal

    Siehst du den Delfin vor dem Schiff?

    Do you see the dolphin in front of the ship?

  2. You

    Ja! Der Delfin ist wahnsinnig schnell.

    Yes! The dolphin is insanely fast.

  3. ChatPal

    Gleich kommen noch mehr Delfine.

    More dolphins are coming soon.

  4. You

    Ich pause das Video bei diesem Delfin.

    I'll pause the video on this dolphin.

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"Dolphin" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Dolphin" in German

How do you say dolphin?

Der Delfin.

Plural?

Die Delfine.

Delfin or Delphin?

Both exist; Delfin is the everyday modern spelling taught here.

Gender?

Masculine: der Delfin.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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