In German
Elefant
Meaning: elephant
Formal or informal? “Der Elefant” is the everyday word for an elephant.
Example sentences
DerElefantistsehrgroß.
The elephant is very big.
IchseheeinenElefantenimZoo.
I see an elephant at the zoo.
DieElefantentrinkenamFluss.
The elephants drink at the river.
Grammar note
“Der Elefant” is a weak masculine noun. It takes -en in every case except the nominative singular: “den Elefanten”, “dem Elefanten”, “des Elefanten”.
Common mistake
Don't forget the -en after “Elefant” in the accusative, dative and genitive. “Ich sehe den Elefant” is wrong; “den Elefanten” is correct.
Quick check
Which German word means “elephant”?
More words on this topic
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Practise it in a lesson →Frequently asked questions
What is the accusative form of “der Elefant”?
“den Elefanten”, with -en.
What is the plural of “Elefant”?
“Elefanten”.