das Murmeltier
marmot
A large rodent that lives in burrows in the mountains and hibernates in winter.
EXAMPLE
Im Alpenraum kann man Murmeltiere auf den Wiesen beobachten.
In the Alps, you can observe marmots in the meadows.
das Murmeltier
marmot
das Murmeltier, die Murmeltiere
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Meanings
das Murmeltier
sleepyhead
A person who sleeps particularly long or is difficult to wake up; this meaning is usually humorous or colloquial.
EXAMPLE
Unser Murmeltier liegt am Sonntag um elf Uhr immer noch im Bett.
Our sleepyhead is still in bed at eleven o’clock on Sunday.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Murmeltier, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | neuter das |
|---|---|
| plural | die Murmeltiere |
| genitive | des Murmeltiers |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | das Murmeltier | die Murmeltiere |
| accusative | das Murmeltier | die Murmeltiere |
| dative | dem Murmeltier | den Murmeltieren |
| genitive | des Murmeltiers des Murmeltieres | der Murmeltiere |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Typical collocations
When referring to the animal, verbs such as „beobachten“ (to observe), „sehen“ (to see), and „hören“ (to hear) are frequently used. Whistling is also a typical feature mentioned when describing marmots.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Wanderung konnten wir ein Murmeltier beobachten.
On our hike, we were able to observe a marmot.
Plötzlich hörten wir ein Murmeltier pfeifen.
Suddenly, we heard a marmot whistle.
Alpine context
„Murmeltier“ (marmot) occurs particularly often in texts about the Alps, mountain hikes, and nature conservation. Signal words such as „Bergwiese“ (mountain meadow), „Alpen“ (Alps), or „Bau“ (burrow) usually point to the animal meaning.
EXAMPLE
Auf der Bergwiese entdeckten die Wanderer ein Murmeltier neben seinem Bau.
On the mountain meadow, the hikers discovered a marmot beside its burrow.
Humorous form of address
The figurative meaning is often used in statements about a person and sounds humorous or colloquial. Typical patterns are „Du bist ja ein Murmeltier“ (You’re such a sleepyhead) and „ein richtiges Murmeltier sein“ (to be a real sleepyhead).
EXAMPLE
Du bist ja ein Murmeltier – ohne drei Wecker stehst du nie auf.
You’re such a sleepyhead—you never get up without three alarm clocks.
In real life
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