der
Saft
💧 What Exactly is "der Saft"?
Der Saft is a masculine noun with several meanings:
- Liquid from plants or fruits (Juice): This is the most common meaning. It refers to the liquid obtained from fruits, vegetables, or plant parts through pressing, cooking, or other methods. Example: Orangensaft (orange juice), Apfelsaft (apple juice), Gemüsesaft (vegetable juice).
- Bodily fluid: Sometimes used for certain bodily fluids, e.g., Magensaft (gastric juice).
- Energy, power (figurative): Figuratively, "Saft" can also mean energy, vitality, or drive. Example: "Er hat keinen Saft mehr." (He has no energy left / He's exhausted.)
- Electric current (colloquial): Less common, but colloquially, "Saft" can stand for electric current. Example: "Ist noch Saft auf der Leitung?" (Is there still power on the line?)
- Money (colloquial, rare): In very informal language, it can also mean money.
🚨 However, the primary meaning is the liquid from fruits or vegetables (juice).
📚 Grammar of "der Saft" in Detail
"Saft" is a masculine noun. The article is der.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Saft |
| Genitive | des | Saftes / Safts |
| Dative | dem | Saft / Safte |
| Accusative | den | Saft |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Säfte |
| Genitive | der | Säfte |
| Dative | den | Säften |
| Accusative | die | Säfte |
Example Sentences
- Ich trinke morgens gerne ein Glas frischen Saft.
(I like to drink a glass of fresh juice in the morning.) - Der Geschmack des Saftes war sehr süß.
(The taste of the juice was very sweet.) - Gibst du dem Saft bitte noch etwas Wasser hinzu?
(Could you please add some water to the juice?) - Nach dem Sport hatte er keinen Saft mehr.
(After sports, he had no energy left.) - Wir haben verschiedene Säfte zur Auswahl.
(We have various juices to choose from.)
💡 How to Use "Saft"?
- Beverages: Most commonly used in the context of drinks: Orangensaft, Apfelsaft, Traubensaft (grape juice), Multivitaminsaft (multivitamin juice), Gemüsesaft.
- Cooking: Sometimes as an ingredient in cooking or baking: Zitronensaft (lemon juice), Bratensaft (gravy/roasting juices).
- Figurative Meaning (Energy): In idioms like "ohne Saft und Kraft sein" (to be without energy and strength), "jemandem den Saft abdrehen" (to cut someone off / withdraw support or energy), "im eigenen Saft schmoren" (to stew in one's own juice / be left alone with problems).
- Colloquial (Electricity): Less frequently for electricity: "Der Akku hat keinen Saft mehr." (The battery is dead / has no juice left.)
Confusion is rare as the context usually clarifies the meaning. The primary association is almost always the beverage.
🧠 Mnemonics for "der Saft"
Article Mnemonic: Think of needing strong (masculine) arms to squeeze juice. Der strong man squeezes der Saft.
Meaning Mnemonic: "Saft" sounds a bit like "soft". Fruits are soft before you extract the Saft (juice). Or think of it as the "sap" (sounds similar) or lifeblood of a fruit, which also connects to the figurative meaning of energy/vitality.
🔄 Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
- For Beverage: Nektar (often diluted and sweetened), Getränk (drink), Trunk (drink, slightly archaic)
- For Energy/Power: Energie, Kraft (strength), Power (coll.), Elan (vigour), Schwung (momentum, zest), Antrieb (drive), Vitalität (vitality)
- For Electricity (coll.): Strom (current), Elektrizität (electricity)
- For Bodily Fluid: Sekret (secretion), Flüssigkeit (fluid)
Antonyms
- For Beverage: Wasser (water, sometimes as contrast), Feststoff (solid)
- For Energy/Power: Kraftlosigkeit (powerlessness), Erschöpfung (exhaustion), Lethargie (lethargy), Antriebslosigkeit (lack of drive)
- For Fluid: Trockenheit (dryness), Dürre (drought)
Similar Words:
- Most (der): freshly pressed, unfermented fruit juice, often from apples or grapes.
- Sirup (der): syrup; thick, concentrated juice, often highly sweetened.
😄 A Little Juice Joke
DE: Warum hat der Orangensaft die Prüfung nicht bestanden? Er war nicht konzentriert genug!
EN: Why did the orange juice fail the exam? It wasn't concentrated enough!
📜 Poem about Saft
DE:
Aus Früchten frisch gepresst,
Der Saft, der uns erfrischen lässt.
Mal süß, mal herb, mal klar, mal trüb,
Ein Vitaminstoß, den man liebt.
Auch Kraft und Energie genannt,
Wenn jemand müde, ausgebrannt.
Der Saft, er fließt, mal rot, mal gelb,
Ein Elixier für unsere Welt.
EN:
Freshly squeezed from fruit,
The juice that lets us refresh.
Sometimes sweet, sometimes tart, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy,
A vitamin boost that one loves.
Also called strength and energy,
When someone's tired, burned out.
The juice, it flows, sometimes red, sometimes yellow,
An elixir for our world.
🧩 Riddle Time
DE:
Ich werde aus Früchten gewonnen,
man trinkt mich gern, wenn die Sonn' hat geschonnen.
Ich kann auch Kraft bedeuten, Energie,
mein Artikel ist männlich, vergiss das nie!
Was bin ich? (Lösung: der Saft)
EN:
I am obtained from fruits,
people like to drink me when the sun has shone.
I can also mean strength, energy,
my article is masculine, never forget that!
What am I?
(Solution: der Saft / the juice)
💡 Other Interesting Facts
Word Composition: "Saft" is a base word but forms many compound words (Komposita):
- Fruchtsaft (fruit juice), Orangensaft (orange juice), Apfelsaft (apple juice), Gemüsesaft (vegetable juice), Karottensaft (carrot juice), Tomatensaft (tomato juice)... (Type of juice)
- Saftpresse (juicer)
- Saftladen (colloquial for a poorly run shop or company, lit. 'juice shop')
- Saftkur (juice cleanse/diet)
- Saftkonzentrat (juice concentrate)
- Saftig (adjective, meaning "juicy" or figuratively "interesting", "spicy")
Etymology: The word "Saft" comes from the Old High German word "saf", which had similar meanings (plant juice, liquid).
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Saft?
The German word "Saft" is masculine. The correct article is "der". It primarily means "juice" (from fruits/vegetables), but can also mean "energy" or colloquially "electricity". The plural is "die Säfte".