das  Flach

B2

Estimated CEFR level.

/flax/

🗺️ What does 'das Flach' mean?

'Das Flach' is a rather rarely used German noun. It usually refers to a flat spot, especially in water (a shoal or shallows) or sometimes a flat area of land (an even plain).

🚨 Important Note: The adjective 'flach' (e.g., ein flacher Teller - a flat plate, flaches Wasser - shallow water) is far more common. The noun 'das Flach' is more specific and less everyday. Often, words like 'die Untiefe' (shoal), 'die Seichte' (shallows), or 'die Ebene' (plain) are used instead.

There is only the neuter article 'das' for this noun.

🧐 Grammar of 'das Flach' in Detail

'Das Flach' is a neuter noun (Neutrum). It is mostly used only in the singular. The plural ('die Flache') is very unusual and often overlaps with other meanings or is replaced by plural forms of synonyms ('die Untiefen', 'die Ebenen').

Example Sentences

1. Das Schiff lief auf ein Flach auf.
   (The ship ran aground on a shoal.)
2. Wir ankerten in dem Flach nahe der Küste.
   (We anchored in the shallows near the coast.)
3. Die Seekarte warnte vor dem Flach in der Bucht.
   (The nautical chart warned about the shoal in the bay.)
4. Dieses weite Flach eignet sich gut für den Ackerbau. (selten für Landfläche)
   (This wide flat area is well-suited for agriculture. - rare for land)

🧭 When to use 'das Flach'?

'Das Flach' is mainly found in specific contexts:

• Nautical / Shipping: To designate shoals or shallow areas in the sea, rivers, or lakes. This is where it's most common.
• Geography: Sometimes used to describe a flat, level landscape, although 'die Ebene' (plain) or 'das Flachland' (flatlands) are more usual here.
• Technical Jargon: Possibly in technical or geological contexts for flat areas.

⚠️ In everyday life, the adjective 'flach' (flat, shallow) is much more frequent. When talking about a flat surface, one usually says 'die Fläche'. For shallow water, 'die Untiefe' or 'die Seichte' are often more appropriate.

Potential for Confusion:

• flach (adjective): Das Wasser ist hier sehr flach. (The water is very shallow here.)
• die Fläche (noun): Die Fläche des Tisches ist groß. (The surface of the table is large.)
• die Ebene (noun): Wir durchquerten eine weite Ebene. (We crossed a wide plain.)

💡 Mnemonics for 'das Flach'

For the article 'das': Think: Das Gebiet (the area), which is flat, is das Flach. It describes a neutral, factual geographical feature -> 'das'. Like 'das Land' (the land) or 'das Gebiet' (the area).

For the meaning: Imagine you're wading in water and suddenly it's very flach (shallow) – you've hit das Flach. Or picture a landscape without hills, completely flach (flat) – das Flach.

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Similar Words: Be careful not to confuse 'das Flach' (noun) with the adjective 'flach' (flat/shallow) or the noun 'die Fläche' (surface/area).

😄 A Little Joke

Warum sind Witze über flaches Land nie sehr aufregend?

Weil sie kein hohes Niveau haben! 😉

--- Translation ---

Why are jokes about flat land never very exciting?

Because they have no high level! (Pun: 'hohes Niveau' means 'high level' literally and 'sophistication' figuratively) 😉

✍️ Poem about 'das Flach'

Wo das Wasser sanft verrinnt,
Und der Grund fast sichtbar beginnt,
Liegt verborgen, still und sacht,
Das Flach, das mancher nicht bedacht.
Kein Schifflein tief, nur leichtes Boot,
Findet hier sein kleines Lot.

--- Translation ---

Where the water gently flows away,
And the bottom almost sees the day,
Lies hidden, quiet, soft, and slight,
The shoal, that many overlook outright.
No deep ship, just a light boat near,
Finds its shallow sounding here.

❓ Little Riddle

Ich bin kein Berg, ich bin kein Tal,
Im Wasser manchmal eine Qual.
Für Schiffe tief bin ich Gefahr,
Man sieht mich auf der Seekart' klar.

Was bin ich?

--- Translation ---

I'm not a mountain, not a vale,
In water, sometimes I make you fail.
For deep ships, I am a danger known,
On nautical charts, I'm clearly shown.

What am I?

ℹ️ Additional Info

Word Origin: The noun 'das Flach' derives directly from the adjective 'flach' (flat/shallow), which in turn has Germanic origins meaning 'even', 'spread out'.

Regional Differences: The use of 'das Flach' can vary regionally, but it is generally rare compared to synonyms like 'Untiefe' or 'Ebene'.