der
Bock
🐐 What does "der Bock" mean? More than just an animal!
The German word der Bock is quite versatile and has several meanings, some of which differ significantly:
1. Animal 🐏
The most original meaning is the male animal of goats (Ziegenbock - billy goat) and sheep (Schafbock or Widder - ram). It's also used for the male of other antlered animals like deer (Rehbock - roe buck).
2. Frame / Stand 🛠️
A Bock can also be a frame or support, often with four legs, used for supporting or working on objects (e.g., Sägebock - sawhorse, Malerbock - painter's trestle).
3. Mistake (colloquial) 🤦
Colloquially, "einen Bock schießen" means to make a blunder or a major mistake.
4. Desire / Mood (colloquial) 😍
Very common is "Bock haben auf etwas", meaning to feel like doing something or be interested in something. The negation "keinen Bock haben" correspondingly means disinclination or lack of interest (to not be in the mood).
5. Stubborn person (colloquial) 😠
A person can be called a "Bock" or "sturer Bock" if they are stubborn or obstinate.
6. Gymnastics Equipment 🤸
In sports, der Bock refers to a piece of gymnastics equipment that is vaulted over (Sprungbock - vaulting buck or horse).
⚠️ Attention: The colloquial meanings (mistake, desire, stubborn person) are very common but should be avoided in formal contexts.
Article rules for der, die, and das
Large animals → mostly masculine.
The Grammar of "der Bock" 🧐
Der Bock is a masculine noun. Here is its declension:
Singular
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative (Who/What?) | der Bock | ein Bock |
| Genitive (Whose?) | des Bock(e)s | eines Bock(e)s |
| Dative (To whom?) | dem Bock(e) | einem Bock(e) |
| Accusative (Whom/What?) | den Bock | einen Bock |
Plural
| Case | Definite Article | Indefinite Article |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die Böcke | Böcke |
| Genitive | der Böcke | Böcke |
| Dative | den Böcken | Böcken |
| Accusative | die Böcke | Böcke |
Example Sentences ✍️
- (Animal) Der Bock stand auf der Weide.
(The buck/ram stood in the pasture.) - (Frame) Stell das Holz auf den Sägebock.
(Put the wood on the sawhorse.) - (Mistake) Da habe ich wohl einen Bock geschossen.
(I guess I made a blunder there.) - (Desire) Ich habe richtig Bock auf Pizza.
(I'm really in the mood for pizza / I really fancy a pizza.) - (Stubborn person) Sei doch nicht so ein sturer Bock!
(Don't be such a stubborn mule!) - (Gymnastics equip.) Die Kinder springen über den Bock.
(The children vault over the buck.)
How "der Bock" is used 🗣️
The usage of "der Bock" heavily depends on the context:
- Animal & Gymnastics Equipment: These meanings are neutral and clearly understood in their respective contexts (agriculture, nature, sports).
- Frame/Stand: This meaning is also rather technical and neutral (e.g., in crafts).
- Mistake ("einen Bock schießen"): This idiom is very common in colloquial German to describe making a mistake or blunder. It's informal. (Lit. 'to shoot a buck')
- Desire/Mood ("Bock haben auf"): This phrase is extremely common in youth slang and general colloquial speech. It expresses desire, motivation, or lack thereof. Example: "Hast du Bock, ins Kino zu gehen?" - "Nee, keinen Bock heute." ("Are you up for going to the cinema?" - "Nah, not in the mood today.")
- Stubborn person ("sturer Bock"): A rather negative, colloquial description for an inflexible person. (Lit. 'stubborn buck')
Important Note: The colloquial meanings, especially "Bock haben", are generally inappropriate in formal writing or official conversations. In such cases, use more neutral expressions like "Lust haben" (to feel like), "Interesse haben" (to be interested), or "einen Fehler machen" (to make a mistake).
Risk of confusion? Rarely. The context usually makes it clear which "Bock" is meant. A sentence like "Der Bock hat keinen Bock auf den Bock" (The billy goat isn't in the mood for the vaulting horse) is grammatically correct but more of a wordplay.
Memory Aids for "der Bock" 🧠
Remembering the article 'der':
Imagine a strong, male billy goat (Ziegenbock) - a 'he' - standing on a sawhorse (Sägebock). He's stubborn ('sturer Bock') and feels like ('hat Bock') going on vacation. The male animal and the dominant stubbornness help you associate it with the masculine article 'der'.
Remembering the meanings:
The Bock (animal 🐏) jumps over the Bock (vaulting horse 🤸) because he has Bock (desire 😍), but his friend, the stubborn Bock (stubborn person 😠), makes a Bock (mistake 🤦) and lands on the Sägebock (sawhorse 🛠️).
Synonyms & Antonyms for "der Bock" 🔄
Synonyms (similar meaning):
- For animal (goat): Ziegenbock (billy goat)
- For animal (sheep): Schafbock, Widder (ram)
- For animal (deer): Rehbock (roe buck)
- For frame: Stütze (support), Gestell (frame), Gerüst (scaffold), Auflage (rest)
- For mistake: Fehler (mistake), Schnitzer (blunder), Patzer (slip-up), Missgeschick (mishap) (colloquial for "einen Bock schießen")
- For desire/mood: Lust (desire), Laune (mood), Interesse (interest), Neigung (inclination), Verlangen (craving), Motivation (motivation) (colloquial for "Bock haben")
- For stubborn person: Dickkopf (thick head), Starrkopf (stubborn head), Sturkopf (stubborn head), Esel (donkey) (colloquial)
- For gymnastics equip.: Sprungbock (vaulting buck/horse)
Antonyms (opposite meaning):
- For animal (male): die Ziege (nanny goat), das Schaf (ewe), die Geiß (nanny goat), die Ricke (doe)
- For desire/mood: Unlust (disinclination), Desinteresse (lack of interest), Antriebslosigkeit (lethargy), Widerwille (reluctance) ("keinen Bock haben")
- For stubborn person: Nachgiebigkeit (compliance), Flexibilität (flexibility)
Similar Words:
- Block (der): A massive piece (wood block, engine block). Sounds similar, but different meaning.
- Böckchen (das): Diminutive form, often used for young male goats or deer, or also for little jumps ("Böckchen machen" - to caper).
A little joke about Bock 😄
Fragt der Lehrer: "Wer kann mir ein Tier mit B nennen?"
Fritzchen meldet sich: "Bär!"
Lehrer: "Sehr gut! Noch eins?"
Fritzchen: "Ein zweiter Bär!"
Lehrer: "Fritzchen, sei nicht so ein sturer Bock!"
Fritzchen: "Okay, okay... ein Bock!"
Translation:
Teacher asks: "Who can name an animal starting with B?"
Little Fritz raises his hand: "Bear!" ('Bär')
Teacher: "Very good! Another one?"
Little Fritz: "A second bear!"
Teacher: "Fritzchen, don't be such a stubborn mule!" ('sturer Bock')
Little Fritz: "Okay, okay... a buck/goat!" ('Bock')
Poem about der Bock 📜
Der Ziegen-Bock, mit stolzem Horn,
frisst Gras und schaut nach vorn.
Im Turnsaal steht ein andrer Bock,
aus Leder, hart wie Stein und Stock.
Der Handwerker den Säge-Bock nutzt,
damit das Brett nicht runterrutscht.
Und hab ich mal auf nichts mehr Bock,
häng ich nur rum in meinem Block.
Doch schieß ich einen Riesen-Bock,
krieg ich vom Chef 'nen Schock.
Sei flexibel, kein sturer Bock,
das Leben ist kein Hürdenstock!
Translation:
The billy goat, with horns so proud,
eats grass and gazes at the cloud.
In the gym, another buck stands near,
of leather, hard as rock, no fear.
The craftsman uses the sawhorse tight,
so that the plank stays in the light.
And if I'm not in the mood at all,
I just hang around, heed no call.
But if I make a giant blunder, oh dear,
my boss's shock is sharp and clear.
Be flexible, no stubborn mule, you see,
life's not a hurdle, wild and free!
Little Riddle 🤔
Ich kann ein Tier mit Hörnern sein,
steh' auch im Wald auf vier Bein'.
Ich helf' dir Holz zu sägen klein,
und zeig', wenn du hast Lust – ob ja, ob nein.
Machst du mich, war's ein Fehler, ach!
Und stur sein kann ich auch, bei Tag und Nacht.
Wer bin ich?
Translation:
I can be an animal with horns, it's true,
I stand in forests on four legs too.
I help you saw wood, small and neat,
And show if you're keen – oh what a feat!
If you make me, it's a mistake, alas!
And stubborn I can be, through day and night's pass.
Who am I?
(Solution: der Bock)
Trivia & Fun Facts 🤓
- Etymology of "Bock haben": The origin of the idiom "Bock haben" (to be in the mood) isn't entirely clear. One theory suggests it comes from Romani (the language of the Sinti and Roma), where "bokh" means hunger. This might have evolved into a general feeling of desire or craving.
- Idiom "Den Bock zum Gärtner machen": (Lit. 'To make the buck the gardener') This means assigning someone a task for which they are completely unsuited and likely to cause damage (because a goat would eat the garden plants). It's similar to the English idiom "to set the fox to guard the henhouse".
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn (German: Steinbock, Dec 22 - Jan 20) is a zodiac sign often associated with ambition and tenacity (which fits the meaning "sturer Bock" - stubborn person).
- Bockbier: A type of strong beer (Bock beer). However, its name probably doesn't come directly from the animal but from the town of Einbeck in Lower Saxony, Germany, which was famous for its beer ("Ainpöckisch Bier" became "Bockbier").
Summary: is it der, die or das Bock?
The word "Bock" always uses the article "der", regardless of whether it refers to the animal, the frame, the mistake, the desire, the stubborn person, or the gymnastics equipment. Therefore, it is always der Bock.