Seeigel

sea urchin

noun ZAY-ee-gel Rare

Usage Note

Seeigel ('sea hedgehog') is the German word for sea urchins (Echinoidea); the name aptly describes the spiny body. Sea urchin roe (Seeigel-Rogen) is a culinary delicacy (Japanese uni) increasingly found on German menus.

Examples

"Beim Schnorcheln trat er versehentlich auf einen Seeigel und bekam Stacheln in den Fuß."

Natural Translation

While snorkelling he accidentally stepped on a sea urchin and got spines in his foot.

Literal Translation

At-the snorkelling stepped he accidentally onto a sea-urchin and got spines in-the foot.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Related Words

Explore German by topic

GermanNow

Tipping in Germany: A Visitor's Etiquette Guide

Tipping in Germany means saying your total out loud, not leaving coins. Learn the exact phrases, how much to tip, and the Sie-vs-du etiquette travelers need.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Compound Words: How to Read Any Long Word

Read any long German word by working right-to-left: the last noun sets the meaning and gender, and the small linking letters are just glue. Here's the drill.

June 9, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

German Word Order: The Verb Rules That Trip You Up

German word order comes down to three verb-position rules: the verb is second in main clauses, last after weil and dass, and time comes before place.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

GermanNow

Weil vs Denn vs Da: "Because" in German

Weil and da send the verb to the end; denn keeps it in second position. Here's how to pick the right German "because" and place the verb correctly.

June 5, 2026 6 min read