sperm whale
der Pottwal, die Pottwale
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sperm whale
A large toothed whale with a particularly large, square-shaped head that mainly lives in deep seas and feeds, among other things, on squid.
Der Pottwal kann lange tauchen und in großer Tiefe nach Beute suchen.
The sperm whale can dive for a long time and search for prey at great depths.
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Pottwale |
| genitive | des Pottwals |
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Pottwal | die Pottwale |
| accusative | den Pottwal | die Pottwale |
| dative | dem Pottwal | den Pottwalen |
| genitive | des Pottwals des Pottwales | der Pottwale |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
At the end of „Pottwal“ (sperm whale) is the base word „Wal“ (whale). This component helps you recognize the word even in longer compounds such as „Pottwalbeobachtung“ (sperm whale watching).
Für die Pottwalbeobachtung fuhren wir mit einem Boot aufs Meer.
We went out to sea by boat for sperm whale watching.
When describing the behavior of sperm whales, useful phrases include „ein Pottwal taucht tief“ (a sperm whale dives deep), „ein Pottwal kommt an die Oberfläche“ (a sperm whale comes to the surface), and „ein Pottwal holt Luft“ (a sperm whale comes up for air).
Der Pottwal kam an die Oberfläche und holte Luft.
The sperm whale came to the surface and took a breath.
In reports about sperm whales along the coast, you will often encounter the phrases „ein gestrandeter Pottwal“ (a stranded sperm whale) and „ein Pottwal strandet“ (a sperm whale becomes stranded). This means that the animal is on the beach or in water that is too shallow and cannot return to the open sea under its own power.
An der Küste versuchten Helfer, einen gestrandeten Pottwal zu retten.
Along the coast, rescuers tried to save a stranded sperm whale.
