der  Fleck

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/flɛk/

🧼 What exactly is a "Fleck"?

The German word der Fleck (masculine) has several meanings:

• A soiled spot, a stain: This is the most common meaning. A Fleck on clothing, the carpet, or a surface.
  Example: "Ich habe einen Kaffeefleck auf meinem Hemd." (I have a coffee stain on my shirt.)
• A small, limited area, a spot, a patch: Can refer to a spot on a surface, a body, or in a landscape.
  Example: "Der Hund hat einen schwarzen Fleck am Ohr." (The dog has a black spot on its ear.) or "Das ist ein schöner Fleck Erde." (That's a beautiful spot/patch of earth.)
• A small place, a hamlet (often rural): Sometimes used to describe a small village or settlement.
  Example: "Er wohnt in einem ruhigen Fleck auf dem Land." (He lives in a quiet spot in the countryside.)

🚨 Attention: Although it's primarily "der Fleck", regionally and archaically "das Fleck" exists for a small place, but this is very uncommon today.

📊 Grammar of "der Fleck" in Detail

The noun "Fleck" is masculine. Here are the declension tables:

Note: The plural form "Flecken" is more common today than "Flecke". The genitive singular "Fleckes" and dative singular "Flecke" are considered more formal or archaic.

📝 Application Examples

1. Nominative: Der Fleck auf dem Tisch ist hartnäckig. (The spot/stain on the table is stubborn.)
2. Genitive: Die Ursache des Flecks ist unbekannt. (The cause of the spot/stain is unknown.)
3. Dative: Ich widme mich jetzt dem Fleck mit einem Spezialreiniger. (I'm now tackling the spot/stain with a special cleaner.)
4. Accusative: Siehst du den Fleck dort? (Do you see the spot/stain there?)
5. Plural: Nach dem Malern waren überall Flecken auf dem Boden. (After painting, there were spots/stains everywhere on the floor.)

💡 How to Use "der Fleck"?

"Der Fleck" is used differently depending on the context:

• In the household: Very common for stains (Rotweinfleck - red wine stain, Grasfleck - grass stain, Ölfleck - oil stain).
• In nature/biology: For color markings on animals or plants (Pigmentfleck - pigment spot, Leberfleck - liver spot/mole, Sonnenfleck - sunspot).
• Geographically/Spatially: For a specific, often small place or area ("ein idyllischer Fleck" - an idyllic spot, "kahler Fleck im Rasen" - bare patch in the lawn, "auf dem Fleck wenden" - to turn on the spot).
• Figuratively: Less common, but possible, e.g., "ein weißer Fleck auf der Landkarte" (a blank spot on the map, meaning unknown territory) or "ein Schandfleck" (a disgrace, eyesore).

Distinction from similar words:

• Stelle: More general than Fleck, can also mean a position or job. Fleck is more specific to a limited area or a stain.
• Ort: Larger and more defined than Fleck in the geographical sense. A Fleck is more like an undefined, small place.
• Punkt: Refers more to an exact position or a small round mark, whereas a Fleck is often irregular in shape.

🧠 Mnemonics for "der Fleck"

Article Mnemonic: Think of DER dirty devil making a stain. A masculine culprit (der Teufel/devil is often masculine in concept) leaves a masculine mark (der Fleck).

Meaning Mnemonic: A Fleck sounds a bit like "flick". Imagine you "flick" some dirt onto a clean shirt, leaving a Fleck (stain), or a small "flick" of land is a nice Fleck (spot).

🔄 Similar and Opposing Words

⚠️ Similar Words (Beware of Confusion):

• flicken (verb): To patch, mend, often with a piece of fabric (der Flicken - the patch). Etymologically related to Fleck.
• der Flecken (regional): Sometimes used regionally for a larger village or market town, but usually "Flecken" is just the plural of "Fleck".

😄 A Little Joke

Fragt der Lehrer: "Was ist schneller, Licht oder Schall?"
Schüler: "Schall, Herr Lehrer!"
Lehrer: "Wie kommst du denn darauf?"
Schüler: "Wenn ich den Fernseher anmache, höre ich erst den Ton und dann kommt das Bild!"
Lehrer: "Und was hat das mit einem Fleck zu tun?"
Schüler: "Nichts, aber mein Vater hat gestern Ketchup auf den Fernseher gespritzt. Der Fleck war sofort da, aber den Ton hat man erst später gehört!" 😉

Translation:

Teacher asks: "What's faster, light or sound?"
Student: "Sound, teacher!"
Teacher: "How do you figure that?"
Student: "When I turn on the TV, I hear the sound first, and then the picture comes!"
Teacher: "And what does that have to do with a spot/stain?"
Student: "Nothing, but yesterday my dad splattered ketchup on the TV. The spot was there immediately, but you only heard the sound later!" 😉

✍️ Poem about a "Fleck"

Ein kleiner Fleck, kaum zu sehen,
auf weißem Hemd, o welch Geschehen!
War's Kaffee, Soße, oder Wein?
Er stört das makellose Sein.

Doch auch die Welt hat ihre Flecken,
die sich in schönen Winkeln strecken.
Ein bunter Fleck auf Wiesengrund,
macht das Naturerlebnis rund.

Translation:

A little spot, barely seen,
on a white shirt, oh what a scene!
Was it coffee, sauce, or wine?
It disturbs the flawless design.

But the world also has its spots,
that stretch in beautiful plots.
A colorful patch on meadow ground,
makes the nature experience sound.

❓ Riddle Time

Ich bin mal Schmutz auf deinem Kleid,
mal ein Platz in Einsamkeit.
Man sieht mich auf dem Tiergesicht,
bin mal dunkel, mal ganz licht.
Auf Landkarten war ich einst weiß,
bin auf dem Tisch oft heißer Scheiß.

Wer bin ich?
... Der Fleck

Translation:

Sometimes I'm dirt upon your dress,
Sometimes a place of loneliness.
You see me on an animal's face,
Sometimes dark, sometimes light's embrace.
On maps, I once was white and bare,
On the table, often hot stuff there.

Who am I?
... The spot / stain / patch (Der Fleck)

🧩 Other Information

Compound Words: "Fleck" is part of many compound German words:

• Schmutzfleck: Dirt spot/stain.
• Fettfleck: Grease spot/stain.
• Leberfleck: Mole (on skin, lit. liver spot).
• Sonnenfleck: Sunspot.
• Fleckenwasser / Fleckentferner: Stain remover.
• Fleckfieber: Typhus (lit. spot fever).
• Blindfleck: Blind spot (in the eye; figuratively, an area one doesn't perceive).
• Blaue Fleck: Bruise (lit. blue spot).

Idioms:

• "Sich nicht vom Fleck rühren": To not move an inch (lit. not move from the spot).
• "Auf dem Fleck kehrtmachen": To turn back immediately (lit. turn about on the spot).
• "Einen wunden Punkt / einen blinden Fleck haben": To have a sore spot / a blind spot (a weakness or something one doesn't want to/cannot see).