Whether it’s stalking through a fairy tale, roaming the forests, or starring in conservation debates—Germans call it a Wolf. It’s a word that carries both fear and fascination, from children’s stories to real-life nature sightings.
The noun Wolf means wolf, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. You’ll hear it in environmental conversations, idioms, fables, and names.
It’s a masculine noun, so we say der Wolf.
Pronunciation
Wolf is pronounced [volf]—just like the English word "golf," but with a V at the beginning.
- W is pronounced like V,
- o is short, like “pot,”
- l and f are strong and clear.
- One syllable: volf
It’s solid, primal, and unmistakably wild.
Example sentences:
- Der Wolf ist zurück in deutschen Wäldern.
The wolf has returned to German forests. - Kinder haben oft Angst vor dem Wolf im Märchen.
Children are often afraid of the wolf in fairy tales.
Nuance and usage tips
Wolf is both literal and symbolic in German. It refers to the real animal Canis lupus, but it also carries centuries of cultural baggage:
- Biological / real-world
- Grauwolf – gray wolf
- Wolfsrudel – wolf pack
- Wolfsgebiet – area where wolves have returned
- Wiederansiedlung des Wolfs – reintroduction of the wolf
- Folklore / stories
- Der böse Wolf – the big bad wolf
- Rotkäppchen und der Wolf – Little Red Riding Hood
- Wolfsheulen – wolf’s howl
- Werwolf – werewolf
- Symbolic use
- einsamer Wolf – lone wolf (used metaphorically)
- Wolf im Schafspelz – a wolf in sheep’s clothing
Its antonym might be Schaf (sheep, neuter), in both literal and symbolic contexts.
Grammatical case examples:
- Nominative:
Der Wolf wurde in Bayern gesichtet.
The wolf was spotted in Bavaria. - Accusative:
Wir haben den Wolf aus sicherer Entfernung beobachtet.
We observed the wolf from a safe distance. - Dative:
Mit dem Wolf sollte man vorsichtig umgehen.
One should handle the wolf carefully. - Genitive:
Wegen des Wolfs blieben die Schafe im Stall.
Because of the wolf, the sheep stayed in the barn.
Masculine case pattern: der, den, dem, des
Word variations and language tidbits
Variation Station:
- Wölfe – wolves (plural)
- Wolfsjunge – wolf pup
- Wolfsgebiet – wolf territory
- Wolfsgeheul – wolf’s howl
- Werwolf – werewolf
- Wolfsblut – wolf’s blood (title of the novel White Fang in German)
Fun idiomatic note:
The phrase ein Wolf im Schafspelz is used exactly like in English:
„Er gibt sich freundlich, aber er ist ein Wolf im Schafspelz.“
“He acts friendly, but he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Wolf
🎥 Learn Wolf and the rest of the top 1000 German nouns in our free online video course:
https://deutschable.com/nouns/
Alternate translations note:
For dog, use Hund. For a mythical or metaphorical wolf, you may encounter Werwolf or just metaphorical uses of Wolf. But whether you’re out in the woods or deep in a story—Wolf is the word to watch.
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