octopus
/ˈɒktəpəs/
The octopus is an eight-armed cephalopod mollusc renowned for its intelligence and camouflage abilities. German offers several translation options that differ in precision, register, and figurative weight.
1. Oktopus
The standard term in zoology, culinary contexts, and general use; borrowed directly from Greek.
The octopus squeezed through a gap barely larger than its beak.
Der Oktopus zwängte sich durch einen Spalt, der kaum größer war als sein Schnabel.
Grilled octopus with lemon and olive oil is a staple of Greek tavernas.
Gegrillter Oktopus mit Zitrone und Olivenöl gehört in griechischen Tavernen zum Standardangebot.
An octopus has three hearts, blue blood, and nine brains.
Ein Oktopus hat drei Herzen, blaues Blut und neun Gehirne.
2. Krake
· figurative
Equally common as a name for the animal; figuratively well-established for corporations or organisations with sprawling, far-reaching influence.
The research team filmed a large octopus hunting crabs on the ocean floor.
Das Forscherteam filmte eine große Krake bei der Jagd auf Krabben am Meeresgrund.
Commentators described the streaming platform as an octopus reaching into every corner of the entertainment industry.
Kommentatoren beschrieben die Streamingplattform als Krake, die in jeden Winkel der Unterhaltungsbranche greift.
3. Tintenfisch
[colloquial]
Widely used in everyday speech and on menus for octopus, but technically covers all cephalopods; imprecise in a biological context.
She pointed at the tank and asked for octopus, and the fishmonger nodded.
Sie zeigte auf das Becken und bat um Tintenfisch, und der Fischer nickte.
The kids pressed their faces against the glass to watch the octopus change color.
Die Kinder drückten ihre Gesichter an die Scheibe, um zuzusehen, wie der Tintenfisch die Farbe wechselte.
Notes
Tintenfisch is not a precise translation: it covers all cephalopods, including squid and cuttlefish. Oktopus is the safe choice whenever biological accuracy matters. Also worth noting: the English plural is contested, octopuses is the standard form; octopi is a folk etymology (as if the word were Latin); octopodes is grammatically defensible but pedantic.