gill
die Kieme, die Kiemen
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gill
The respiratory organ of many aquatic animals, used to absorb oxygen dissolved in water. The word is usually used in the plural.
Fische nehmen über ihre Kiemen Sauerstoff aus dem Wasser auf.
Fish absorb oxygen from the water through their gills.
| gender | feminine die |
|---|---|
| plural | die Kiemen |
| genitive | der Kieme |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | die Kieme | die Kiemen |
| accusative | die Kieme | die Kiemen |
| dative | der Kieme | den Kiemen |
| genitive | der Kieme | der Kiemen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
When describing the absorption of oxygen, „über“ (through) is often used before „die Kiemen“ (the gills). Here, this preposition indicates the route through which the oxygen is absorbed.
Junge Kaulquappen atmen über ihre Kiemen.
Young tadpoles breathe through their gills.
Common collocations include „Kiemen haben“ (to have gills), „durch die Kiemen atmen“ (to breathe through the gills), and „die Kiemen bewegen“ (to move the gills). Biological descriptions also often explain how water flows through the gills.
Während der Fisch ruht, bewegen sich seine Kiemen regelmäßig.
While the fish rests, its gills move regularly.
„Kieme“ (gill) is especially associated with the vocabulary of zoology and biology. The word therefore often appears in descriptions of fish, crustaceans, and other aquatic animals.
Im Biologieunterricht untersuchten die Schülerinnen die Kieme eines Fisches unter dem Mikroskop.
In biology class, the students examined a fish's gill under the microscope.
