das Meerestier
sea animal
An animal that lives in the sea.
EXAMPLE
Der Delfin ist ein Meerestier.
The dolphin is a sea animal.
das Meerestier
sea animal
das Meerestier, die Meerestiere
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Meanings
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Meerestier, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Meerestiere |
| genitive | des Meerestiers |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Meerestier | die Meerestiere |
| accusative | das Meerestier | die Meerestiere |
| dative | dem Meerestier | den Meerestieren |
| genitive | des Meerestiers des Meerestieres | der Meerestiere |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Meerestier' (sea animal) is made up of 'Meer' (sea) and 'Tier' (animal). The linking element '-es' appears between the two parts: 'Meer' + '-es' + 'Tier' = 'Meerestier'.
EXAMPLE
Im Aquarium kann man viele Meerestiere sehen.
You can see many sea animals at the aquarium.
Typical collocations
'Meerestier' (sea animal) frequently occurs with verbs such as 'beobachten' (to observe), 'schützen' (to protect), and 'retten' (to rescue). Combinations such as 'seltene Meerestiere' (rare sea animals) and 'bedrohte Meerestiere' (endangered sea animals) are also common.
EXAMPLE
Freiwillige schützen bedrohte Meerestiere vor Plastik im Wasser.
Volunteers protect endangered sea animals from plastic in the water.
Context clues
'Meerestier' (sea animal) is especially common in texts about marine biology, aquariums, environmental protection, and ocean pollution. Words such as 'Korallenriff' (coral reef), 'Ozean' (ocean), and 'Plastikmüll' (plastic waste) often indicate this context.
EXAMPLE
Die Forscher untersuchen, wie der Plastikmüll die Meerestiere gefährdet.
The researchers are investigating how plastic waste threatens sea animals.
In real life
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