German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Sheep" in German: Schaf

das Schaf

Say it: SHAHFneuter · das Schafnoun/ʃaːf/

Sheep in German is das Schaf. One animal is ein Schaf; several are Schafe. Soft everyday talk also uses Lamm for a lamb, which is a different word.

Farm visit

Sieh mal, das Schaf frisst Gras.
Look, the sheep is eating grass.
Practice German out loud

Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free

How to pronounce Schaf

Say it

SHAHF

/ʃaːf/

SHAHF. Long a, final f. Neuter: das Schaf.

"Sheep" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
das Schafthe sheep

Singular neuter.

die Schafethe sheep (plural)

Plural form.

Schafwollesheep's wool

Related product.

das Lammthe lamb

Young animal; different word.

How to use Schaf in real life

  1. 1Farm visit

    Sieh mal, das Schaf frisst Gras.

    Look, the sheep is eating grass.

    Das Schaf singular.

  2. 2Counting animals

    Auf der Wiese stehen fünf Schafe.

    Five sheep are standing in the meadow.

    Schafe plural.

  3. 3Kids book

    Das kleine Schaf sucht seine Mutter.

    The little sheep is looking for its mother.

    Das kleine Schaf.

Mistakes English speakers make with Schaf

Incorrect: der Schaf

Correct: das Schaf

Schaf is neuter.

Incorrect: zwei Schafs

Correct: zwei Schafe

Plural is Schafe.

Good to know

Counting Schafe is the German version of counting sheep to sleep. Soft toys and kids' songs love Schafe; wool talk uses Schafwolle in shops.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Walking past a pasture

  1. ChatPal

    Siehst du das Schaf dort hinten?

    Do you see the sheep back there?

  2. You

    Ja, und noch drei Schafe daneben.

    Yes, and three more sheep beside it.

  3. ChatPal

    Das schwarze Schaf ist mein Favorit.

    The black sheep is my favorite.

  4. You

    Klar—jedes Schaf sieht anders aus.

    Sure—every sheep looks different.

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

Practice this conversation in ChatPal

"Sheep" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Sheep" in German

What gender is Schaf?

Neuter: das Schaf.

What is the plural?

Die Schafe.

How do you say lamb?

Das Lamm—different word.

How do you say black sheep (figurative)?

Das schwarze Schaf.

Learn a word, then use it out loud

  1. Step 1: See it in context
  2. Step 2: Say it out loud
  3. Step 3: Get feedback
  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

Keep reading

Ready to say it out loud?

ChatPal is a voice-first app for practicing real conversations in German. Try real scenarios and get personalized feedback on your speaking.

Start with 7 days free.