01
der Welpe
puppy
A young dog or the young of other canine predators such as wolves or foxes.
example
Unsere Hündin hat letzte Woche sechs süße Welpen zur Welt gebracht.
Our female dog gave birth to six cute puppies last week.
der Welpe
puppy
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Meanings
Usage tips
Grammar: N-declension
'Der Welpe' (the puppy) is a weak masculine noun (N-declension). This means that it takes the ending '-n' in all cases except the nominative singular: des Welpen, dem Welpen, den Welpen. The plural is 'die Welpen' (the puppies).
EXAMPLE
Ich spiele mit dem kleinen Welpen im Garten.
I am playing with the little puppy in the garden.
Specific use
The word 'Welpe' (puppy) is used specifically for the young of dogs and other canids such as wolves or foxes. There are separate terms for the young of other animal species.
EXAMPLE
Im Zoo kann man die Wolfswelpen beobachten.
At the zoo, you can watch the wolf pups.
Typical combinations
Common expressions related to puppies are 'einen Wurf Welpen haben' (to have a litter of puppies, when a female dog has several young) and 'Welpen aufziehen' (to raise puppies, to care for the young dogs).
EXAMPLE
Es ist viel Arbeit, einen ganzen Wurf Welpen aufzuziehen.
It is a lot of work to raise a whole litter of puppies.
Compare with
Welpe vs Hund
dog
'Hund' and 'Welpe' both refer to an animal of the same species. 'Hund' is the general word and can mean a young or adult animal. 'Welpe' specifically means a very young dog. You use 'Welpe' when age is important, for example because the animal is still small, has a lot to learn, or needs special care. Learners may confuse the words because a puppy is also a dog. But not every dog is a puppy.
Welpe
Seit Montag lebt ein kleiner Welpe bei meiner Schwester.
A small puppy has been living with my sister since Monday.
Hund
Im Park läuft ein großer Hund neben seinem Besitzer her.
A large dog is walking beside its owner in the park.
In real life
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