der Marienkäfer
ladybug
A small, usually red beetle with black spots on its wing covers. Ladybugs belong to the family Coccinellidae.
EXAMPLE
Ein Marienkäfer landete auf meiner Hand.
A ladybug landed on my hand.
der Marienkäfer
ladybug
der Marienkäfer, die Marienkäfer
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Marienkäfer, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Marienkäfer |
| genitive | des Marienkäfers |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Marienkäfer | die Marienkäfer |
| accusative | den Marienkäfer | die Marienkäfer |
| dative | dem Marienkäfer | den Marienkäfern |
| genitive | des Marienkäfers | der Marienkäfer |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Marienkäfer' (ladybug) is made up of 'Marien-' (Mary's) and 'Käfer' (beetle). 'Marien-' refers to the Virgin Mary; the name reflects an older religious naming tradition for this insect.
EXAMPLE
Auf dem Blatt saß ein kleiner Marienkäfer.
A little ladybug was sitting on the leaf.
Typical collocations
'Marienkäfer' (ladybug) is often used with verbs related to observing nature: you can 'einen Marienkäfer sehen' (see a ladybug), 'finden' (find one), 'beobachten' (observe one), or 'auf die Hand nehmen' (pick one up and hold it on your hand).
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder beobachteten einen Marienkäfer im Garten.
The children observed a ladybug in the garden.
Symbol of luck
In German-speaking countries, the ladybug is often considered a good luck charm. This is why it also appears on greeting cards, in pictures, and on small gifts.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Glückwunschkarte war ein roter Marienkäfer abgebildet.
There was a picture of a red ladybug on the greeting card.
In real life
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