der Kranich
crane
A large migratory bird with long legs, a long neck, and broad wings that lives mainly in wetlands in Europe.
EXAMPLE
Im Herbst fliegen die Kraniche in großen Schwärmen nach Süden.
In autumn, cranes fly south in large flocks.
der Kranich
crane
der Kranich, die Kraniche
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Meanings
der Kranich
Grus
A constellation in the southern sky, known in English as Grus or the Crane.
EXAMPLE
Der Kranich ist von Mitteleuropa aus nur schwer zu beobachten.
Grus is difficult to observe from Central Europe.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Kranich, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Kraniche |
| genitive | des Kranichs |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Kranich | die Kraniche |
| accusative | den Kranich | die Kraniche |
| dative | dem Kranich | den Kranichen |
| genitive | des Kranichs | der Kraniche |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
When referring to the bird, verbs such as 'beobachten' (to observe), 'ziehen' (to migrate), and 'rasten' (to rest) are often used with 'Kranich' (crane). Typical collocations include 'Kraniche beobachten' (to observe cranes), 'der Zug der Kraniche' (the migration of the cranes), and 'ein Schwarm Kraniche' (a flock of cranes).
EXAMPLE
Am See konnten wir einen Schwarm Kraniche beobachten.
At the lake, we were able to observe a flock of cranes.
Context clue
The meaning as a constellation can be recognized from astronomical terms such as 'Sternbild' (constellation), 'Sternkarte' (star chart), or 'südlicher Himmel' (southern sky). If the context mentions 'Schwärme' (flocks), 'Feuchtgebiete' (wetlands), or 'Zugvögel' (migratory birds), it refers to the bird instead.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Sternkarte suchte sie nach dem Kranich.
She looked for Grus on the star chart.
Astronomical context
As the name of a constellation, 'Kranich' (Grus, the Crane) appears mainly in astronomical or general educational texts. In this context, the focus is on its position and visibility in the sky, not on the behavior of a bird.
EXAMPLE
Am besten lässt sich der Kranich von der Südhalbkugel aus beobachten.
Grus is best observed from the Southern Hemisphere.
In real life
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