guinea pig
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guinea pig
A small rodent originally from South America that is often kept as a pet and is known for its squeaking sounds.
Die Kinder wünschen sich ein Meerschweinchen zum Geburtstag.
The children want a guinea pig for their birthday.
The word is made up of 'Meer' (sea) and 'Schweinchen' (little pig). The animals came to Europe across the sea and make noises reminiscent of pigs, hence the name 'Meer-Schwein' (sea pig).
Obwohl sie „Meerschweinchen“ heißen, können sie nicht schwimmen.
Although they are called 'Meerschweinchen' (guinea pigs), they cannot swim.
The ending '-chen' is a diminutive form. Words with this ending are always neuter and take the article 'das', as in 'das Schwein' (the pig) → 'das Schweinchen' (the little pig).
Ein kleines Meerschweinchen braucht viel Pflege.
A small guinea pig needs a lot of care.
In the context of pets, 'Meerschweinchen' (guinea pig) is often used with the verbs 'halten' (to keep), 'füttern' (to feed), or 'pflegen' (to care for).
Man sollte Meerschweinchen niemals alleine halten.
You should never keep guinea pigs alone.
