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 [TAH-sheh]
Ta like “tah” (rhymes with spa)
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 cost someone a lot of money (idiomatically)
How does this word come up in real conversations?
"Ich find meine Tasche nicht!"
I can’t find my bag!"Hast du das Portemonnaie in der Tasche?"
Is your wallet in your bag?"Sie hat mir die Tasche geklaut!"
She stole my bag!
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Tarek: Wo ist deine Tasche?
Nina: Ich hab sie unter dem Tisch abgestellt.
Tarek: Da ist sie nicht mehr.
Nina: Was?! Die war neu!
Translation:
Tarek: Where’s your bag?
Nina: I put it under the table.
Tarek: It’s not there anymore.
Nina: What?! It was brand new!
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:
Die Tasche ist offen.
The bag is open.
Accusative:
Ich nehme die Tasche mit.
I’m taking the bag with me.
Dative:
Ich habe den Schlüssel in der Tasche gefunden.
I found the key in the bag.
Genitive:
Der Inhalt der Tasche war wertvoll.
The contents of the bag were valuable.
Word variations and language tidbits
Taschenmesser – pocket knife
Taschenlampe – flashlight (literally “pocket lamp”)
Taschendieb – pickpocket
Taschenbuch – paperback book
Taschenrechner – calculator (literally “pocket calculator”)
Taschenformat – pocket-sized
👜 Fun fact: In Germany, it’s common to bring your own Einkaufstasche (shopping bag) to the supermarket—plastic bags usually cost extra. Forgot yours? You’ll hear: “Möchten Sie eine Tüte oder haben Sie eine Tasche dabei?”
📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Tasche
🎥 Want to pack your vocabulary full of useful words? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns with examples, grammar help, and context that sticks.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Tasse means? You’ll need both hands free if your Tasche is full.
And what about Täter? Better keep an eye on your Tasche when he's around.