German · Nature, Animals & Weather

"Whale" in German: Wal

der Wal

Say it: vahlmasculine · der Walnoun/vaːl/

Whale in German is der Wal. Plural is die Wale. Whale watching is Walbeobachtung; a whale song is Walgesang.

Boat tour

Plötzlich taucht ein Wal neben uns auf.
Suddenly a whale surfaces beside us.
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How to pronounce Wal

Say it

vahl

/vaːl/

vahl. Soft w as English v. Long a.

"Whale" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
der Walthe whale

Standard word.

die Walethe whales

Plural.

Walbeobachtungwhale watching

Tour activity.

Blauwalblue whale

Species compound.

How to use Wal in real life

  1. 1Boat tour

    Plötzlich taucht ein Wal neben uns auf.

    Suddenly a whale surfaces beside us.

    Ein Wal.

  2. 2Museum

    Das Skelett zeigt, wie groß ein Wal wirklich ist.

    The skeleton shows how big a whale really is.

    Ein Wal.

  3. 3Documentary

    Die Wale wandern jedes Jahr denselben Weg.

    The whales migrate the same route every year.

    Plural Wale.

Mistakes English speakers make with Wal

Incorrect: das Whale

Correct: der Wal

Use Wal, masculine.

Incorrect: die Wal

Correct: der Wal / die Wale

Singular der Wal; plural die Wale.

Good to know

Coastal German tourism advertises Walbeobachtung trips abroad more than at home. Kids' books love the Blauwal as the size champion.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

On a ferry looking at the water

  1. ChatPal

    War das ein Wal oder nur Wellen?

    Was that a whale or just waves?

  2. You

    Ein Wal! Siehst du die Fontäne?

    A whale! Do you see the spout?

  3. ChatPal

    Unglaublich. Ich habe noch nie einen Wal live gesehen.

    Incredible. I've never seen a whale live before.

  4. You

    Mach ein Foto, bevor der Wal wieder taucht.

    Take a photo before the whale dives again.

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"Whale" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Whale" in German

How do you say whale?

Der Wal.

Plural?

Die Wale.

Whale watching?

Walbeobachtung.

Gender?

Masculine: der Wal.

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