01
der Bär
bear
A large, strong mammal with thick fur that occurs in various species worldwide.
example
Im Nationalpark haben wir einen Bären aus sicherer Entfernung beobachtet.
In the national park, we observed a bear from a safe distance.
der Bär
bear
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Common mistake: N-declension
'Der Bär' (the bear) is a noun that follows N-declension. This means that it gets an '-en' ending in all cases except the nominative singular. This mistake is made very often.
EXAMPLE
Ich sehe den Bären. (Akkusativ)
I see the bear. (accusative)
Word family
The very common adjective 'bärenstark' is derived from 'Bären' (bears). It literally means 'strong as a bear' and is used to describe great strength.
EXAMPLE
Mein Opa ist mit 80 Jahren immer noch bärenstark.
My grandpa is still incredibly strong at 80.
Dative construction
In the idiom 'jemandem einen Bären aufbinden' (to pull someone's leg), the person being deceived is always in the dative. The structure is fixed.
EXAMPLE
Er hat mir erzählt, er sei ein Popstar. Ich glaube, er wollte mir nur einen Bären aufbinden.
He told me he was a pop star. I think he just wanted to pull my leg.
Register: colloquial language
The idiom 'da ist der Bär los' (the place is buzzing) belongs to colloquial language. You use it to say that there is a great atmosphere and a lot of hustle and bustle at a party, festival, or place.
EXAMPLE
Komm zur Party, hier ist der Bär los!
Come to the party, the place is buzzing here!
Usage pattern
To describe a man as large and strong, people often use the fixed structure 'ein Bär von einem Mann' (a bear of a man) or 'ein Bär von einem Kerl' (a bear of a guy).
EXAMPLE
Der neue Türsteher ist ein Bär von einem Mann.
The new bouncer is a bear of a man.
Compare with
Bär vs Bulle
cop / bull
'der Bär' and 'der Bulle' can be opposites in one specific context: the stock market. There, 'der Bulle' stands for rising prices or the expectation that prices will rise. In this stock-market context, 'der Bär' is understood as the opposite and stands for falling prices. The words can be confused because both are also animal names. In everyday language, 'der Bär' usually means the large wild animal, and 'der Bulle' can mean a male bovine or, colloquially, a police officer. So the stock-market context is crucial for the contrast.
Bär
An der Börse spricht man vom Bären, wenn viele Anleger fallende Kurse erwarten.
On the stock market, people talk about the bear when many investors expect prices to fall.
Bulle
Der Bulle steht an der Börse für die Hoffnung auf steigende Kurse.
On the stock market, the bull stands for the hope of rising prices.
In real life
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