How do you say bag in German?

It’s what you carry your books in, stuff full of groceries, or sling over your shoulder before heading out. In German, it’s die Tasche. This is your German Word of the Day - practical, portable, and one of the first nouns you’ll use when living, shopping, or traveling in a German-speaking country.

The noun Tasche means bag or pocket, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. It’s a super versatile word that pops up in all kinds of daily situations - from fashion to theft reports.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Tasche (want to get gender right once and for all? Our video lesson makes it easy to learn and remember).

Pronunciation

Tasche is pronounced [TASH-uh]

• Ta - a short, clipped “ah”

• sche like “shuh”

• Stress on the first syllable: TAsche

Example sentences

• Ich habe die Tasche im Bus vergessen.I left the bag on the bus.

• Was hast du in deiner Tasche?What do you have in your bag?

• Die Tasche ist ziemlich schwer.The bag is pretty heavy.

Nuance and usage tips

Tasche can mean bag (something you carry) or pocket (a sewn-in container).

👜 Common types of bags:

• Handtasche - handbag / purse

• Schultasche - schoolbag

• Reisetasche - travel bag / duffel

• Einkaufstasche - shopping bag

• Umhängetasche - shoulder bag

• Laptoptasche - laptop bag

👖 For pockets:

• Hosentasche - pants pocket

• Jackentasche - jacket pocket

• Innentasche - inside pocket

• Seitentasche - side pocket

💬 Common expressions:

• etwas in die Tasche stecken - to put something in your pocket

• Taschen durchsuchen - to search through bags

• die Hände in den Taschen haben - to have your hands in your pockets

• jemandem in die Tasche greifen - to take money from someone, literally or figuratively
  tief in die Tasche greifen - to dig deep into your pocket (pay a lot)
  jemandem auf der Tasche liegen - to live off someone
  etwas in der Tasche haben - to have something in the bag

How does this word come up in real conversations?