der  Sack

A2

Estimated CEFR level.

/zak/

🛍️ What exactly is a 'Sack'?

Der Sack (plural: die Säcke) is a container, usually made of coarse material (like Jute - jute), plastic, or paper, used for transporting or storing bulk goods (e.g., Kartoffeln - potatoes, Getreide - grain, Sand - sand, Müll - garbage). It is typically open or closable at the top.

Colloquially, and sometimes vulgarly, der Sack has other meanings:

• Sackgasse: A cul-de-sac or dead-end street.
• Hodensack: (vulgar) Anatomical term for the scrotum.
• Person: (very colloquial, often insulting) A person, especially a man, perceived as unpleasant, lazy, or clumsy (e.g., "Was für ein Sack!" - "What a jerk/prat!"). ⚠️ This usage is often derogatory!

🧐 Grammar: Declining 'der Sack'

The noun 'der Sack' is masculine. Here is its declension:

Note: In the genitive singular, both forms (Sackes/Sacks) are possible, but 'Sacks' is more common. In the dative singular, 'Sacke' is archaic; 'Sack' is almost exclusively used.

💬 Example Sentences

• Der Bauer trug den schweren Sack Kartoffeln.
  (The farmer carried the heavy sack of potatoes.)
• Wirf den Müll bitte in den blauen Sack.
  (Please throw the trash into the blue bag/sack.)
• Die Straße endet in einer Sackgasse.
  (The street ends in a dead-end.)
• Er hat sich über seinen Kollegen geärgert und ihn (leider) einen Sack genannt. ⚠️
  (He got angry with his colleague and (unfortunately) called him a jerk/prat.)

💡 How to use 'der Sack'?

Der Sack is primarily used for the container. You often hear:

• Kartoffelsack (potato sack), Getreidesack (grain sack), Zementsack (cement sack), Sandsack (sandbag)
• Müllsack (garbage bag), Gelber Sack (yellow bag for recyclables in Germany)
• Schlafsack (sleeping bag)
• Boxsack (punching bag)

Idioms (Redewendungen):

• "Den Sack zumachen": To wrap things up, to conclude something successfully. (Example: Mit diesem Tor haben sie den Sack zugemacht. - With this goal, they sealed the deal/wrapped up the victory.)
• "In Sack und Asche gehen": To repent, to show remorse (literally: to go in sackcloth and ashes). (Rather rare, biblical origin)
• "Jemandem auf den Sack gehen": (vulgar) To annoy someone, to get on someone's nerves (literally: to go onto someone's sack/scrotum). ⚠️ (Example: Hör auf, mir auf den Sack zu gehen! - Stop getting on my nerves!)
• "Katze im Sack kaufen": To buy a pig in a poke (literally: to buy a cat in a sack); to buy something without inspecting it first.

The colloquial use for people is highly context-dependent and often insulting.

🧠 Mnemonics for 'der Sack'

Article Mnemonic: Think of a strong Der-ek (a masculine name) carrying a heavy Sack. Masculine name for a masculine noun.

Meaning Mnemonic: A Sack sounds a bit like 'pack'. You pack things into a Sack. It can hold heavy stuff (like potatoes) or sometimes refers to an annoying guy you wish you could 'pack' away!

🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms

Potential for Confusion: Don't confuse Sack with Jacke (jacket) or Sache (thing, matter).

😂 A little joke

Warum hat der Kartoffelsack geweint?
Weil er geschält werden sollte!

(Why did the potato sack cry?
Because it was about to be peeled!)

📜 A Sack Poem

Ein Sack, der steht im Keller kalt,
Gefüllt mit Dingen, jung und alt.
Mal Korn, mal Müll, mal Sand so schwer,
Trägt alles brav, kreuz und quer.
Manchmal ist er nur ein Wort,
An einem ungeliebten Ort.
Doch meistens ist er einfach da,
Der Sack, ganz praktisch, wunderbar.

(A sack stands in the cellar cold,
Filled with things, both young and old.
Sometimes grain, sometimes trash, sometimes sand so heavy,
Carries everything well, criss-cross and steady.
Sometimes it's just a word you hear,
In an unloved place, held less than dear.
But mostly it is simply there,
The sack, quite practical, beyond compare.)

❓ Riddle Time

Ich habe keinen Mund, doch schlucke viel,
Trage Lasten, das ist mein Spiel.
Manchmal bin ich voll, manchmal leer,
Manchmal nervt's, wenn man mich nennt, sehr.

Was bin ich?

(I have no mouth, yet I swallow much,
Carry burdens, that's my touch.
Sometimes I'm full, sometimes empty quite,
Sometimes it annoys when I'm named in spite.

What am I?)
(Answer: der Sack)

🧩 Other Interesting Info

Compound Words (Wortzusammensetzungen): The word 'Sack' is part of many compound nouns that specify its function:

• Müllsack (garbage bag)
• Kartoffelsack (potato sack)
• Schlafsack (sleeping bag)
• Boxsack (punching bag)
• Sackgasse (dead-end street)
• Sackhüpfen (sack race - a game)

Etymology: The word 'Sack' has a long history and can be found in similar forms in many Germanic and even Romance languages (cf. English 'sack', French 'sac'). It likely originates from an old word for a coarse cloth or fabric.