German Conversation · Level 51
74 words
German word
Schnabel
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈʃnaːbəl/
Meaning
- masculine nounbeak
Example
Die Schnäbel der Vögel sind unterschiedlich.
The birds' beaks are different.
More examples
Der Pelikan transportiert Fische mit dem Schnabel.
The pelican transports fish with its beak.
Core concept
The front of a bird's head forms a hard pointed gripping tool, and the same word can refer informally to a human mouth.
Common phrases
gelber Schnabel
yellow beak
mit dem Schnabel transportieren
transport with the beak
Similar words
Maul: The whole mouth of an animal, especially for gripping or chewing.
Schnauze: A dog's or boar's muzzle, where the nose and mouth meet.
Definition in German
Ein harter, spitzer Teil am Kopf von Vögeln, mit dem sie Nahrung aufnehmen, picken oder halten.
Word origin
The German noun continues Middle High German snabel and Old High German snabul, with related forms in other Germanic languages such as Dutch snavel.
Usage tips
- For a person's mouth, Schnabel is informal and can sound dismissive, so Mund is the neutral everyday term.
Other meanings
- mouthnoun
Related words
- schnäbelnpeckverb
- schnabelartigbeak-likeadjective