German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Monkey" in German: Affe

der Affe

Say it: AH-fuhmasculine · der Affenoun/ˈafə/

Monkey in German is der Affe. The plural is die Affen. Kids shout Schau, der Affe! at the zoo, and Affe can also be a playful tease.

Zoo visit

Der Affe schwingt von Ast zu Ast.
The monkey swings from branch to branch.
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How to pronounce Affe

Say it

AH-fuh

/ˈafə/

AH-fuh. Short a, soft final e. Masculine: der Affe.

"Monkey" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Affemonkey / ape

Everyday animal word.

die Affenmonkeys

Plural.

Affenbabybaby monkey

Zoo talk.

Du Affe!you silly monkey!

Playful tease among friends.

How to use Affe in real life

  1. 1Zoo visit

    Der Affe schwingt von Ast zu Ast.

    The monkey swings from branch to branch.

    Der Affe.

  2. 2Kids pointing

    Da sitzt ein Affe mit einer Banane.

    There's a monkey sitting with a banana.

    Ein Affe.

  3. 3Documentary

    Viele Affen leben in Gruppen.

    Many monkeys live in groups.

    Plural Affen — Affe appears in Affen.

Mistakes English speakers make with Affe

Incorrect: die Affe

Correct: der Affe

Affe is masculine.

Incorrect: die Affe (plural)

Correct: die Affen

Plural is Affen.

Good to know

Affe covers monkeys and apes in casual speech. Du Affe! can be affectionate teasing among friends; tone decides whether it lands as funny or rude.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Zoo enclosure

  1. ChatPal

    Siehst du den Affen ganz oben?

    Do you see the monkey way up top?

  2. You

    Ja, der Affe wirft Blätter.

    Yes, the monkey is throwing leaves.

  3. ChatPal

    Süß. Der Affe schaut uns an.

    Cute. The monkey is looking at us.

  4. You

    Ich filme den Affen kurz.

    I'll film the monkey briefly.

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Monkey" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Monkey" in German

Gender?

Masculine: der Affe.

Plural?

Die Affen.

Ape vs monkey?

Casual German often uses Affe for both; scientific talk is more precise.

Playful tease?

Du Affe! — only with people who know you.

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