dolphin
der Delfin, die Delfine
Loading your saved state.
dolphin
An intelligent marine mammal from the whale family, known for its playful behavior and its ability to communicate.
Im Urlaub sahen wir eine Gruppe Delfine, die neben unserem Boot schwammen.
On vacation, we saw a group of dolphins swimming next to our boat.
butterfly
A term for the butterfly swimming stroke (also called dolphin swimming in German), in which both arms are moved forward over the head at the same time and the legs make a wave-like movement.
Bei der Olympiade gewann sie die Goldmedaille über 200 Meter Delfin.
At the Olympics, she won the gold medal in the 200-meter butterfly.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Delfine |
| genitive | des Delfins |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Delfin | die Delfine |
| accusative | den Delfin | die Delfine |
| dative | dem Delfin | den Delfinen |
| genitive | des Delfins | der Delfine |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
You can always tell from the context whether the animal or the swimming stroke is meant. If you are talking about the sea and animals, it is the marine mammal. In the context of sports and swimming pools, the swimming stroke is meant.
Im Ozeanarium kann man Delfine sehen.
You can see dolphins at the oceanarium.
Er trainiert zweimal pro Woche Delfin.
He trains butterfly twice a week.
When the swimming stroke is meant, 'Delfin' (butterfly) is often used without an article, like a sport. You say 'ich schwimme Delfin' (I swim butterfly) or speak of the event '100 Meter Delfin' (100-meter butterfly).
Kannst du Delfin schwimmen?
Can you swim butterfly?
The name of the swimming stroke comes from the wave-like body movement of the swimmers. This movement is reminiscent of the way a real dolphin swims.
Für Delfin braucht man eine starke Rumpfmuskulatur.
For butterfly, you need strong core muscles.
butterfly
Schmetterling and Delfin can both refer to the same swimming stroke. Schmetterling is the usual term for the complete stroke, including the body position and arm movement, while Delfin or Delfinschwimmen places more emphasis on the body’s wave-like movement and the movement of the legs. In competition, Schmetterling is usually the better choice; when practicing a movement, Delfin is also used.
Beim Training übt Tom besonders den Delfin mit einer kräftigen Wellenbewegung der Beine.
During training, Tom is focusing especially on the dolphin stroke, using a powerful wave-like movement of his legs.
Bei den Vereinsmeisterschaften schwimmt Lea zum ersten Mal den Schmetterling.
At the club championships, Lea is swimming the butterfly for the first time.
