Home › German › Glossary › catfish
German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "catfish" in German?
der Wels
In German, "catfish" is der Wels.
Listen to the pronunciation:
Free German learning game. No sign-up, play in browser. See all games
Pronunciation
Pronounced 'VELS', one syllable, with a short E and stress on that syllable.
Grammar notes
Der Wels is masculine. Plural: die Welse. A regional term, particularly common in European fish.
Example sentence
Der Wels lebt auf Dem Grund des Sees.
The catfish lives on the bottom of the lake.
Test your German knowledge in our free browser games.
How to remember der Wels
Wels is a specific word for this barbeled fish. It has whisker-like barbels, like a cat's whiskers.
Related words
- badger der Dachs
- bull der Stier
- gold das Gold
- grains die Körner
- hen die Henne
- mallard die Stockente
- otter der Otter
- pigeon die Taube
- turkey der Truthahn
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about der Wels
How do you say "catfish" in German?
In German, "catfish" is der Wels. It is a noun.
Is der Wels masculine or feminine?
Der Wels is masculine. Plural: die Welse. A regional term, particularly common in European fish.
How is der Wels used in a sentence?
Use der Wels as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Der Wels lebt auf Dem Grund des Sees. (The catfish lives on the bottom of the lake.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
You can play free German minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the German glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.
"Catfish" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the German language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation.
Noun Town on PC, Mac & VR
These browser games are just a taste. The full Noun Town is a bigger, deeper 3D world: explore a living town, talk to its characters and learn thousands of words in immersive VR, Mixed Reality, or on your computer. It's an award-winning game with 590+ reviews on Steam and 12 languages to learn.
See the full game ▶Spot an error? Email us at contact@noun.town