Today’s word is all about carrying things — literally or sometimes metaphorically. The German word Sack means sack, bag, or sackful of something. It’s used in everyday contexts like groceries or gardening, but it can also show up in idioms and even a few cheeky slang phrases.

Sack is a masculine noun, so the correct article is der — der Sack. Need help remembering gender without getting stuck in memorization loops? Watch our 5-minute gender crash course — it’s short, smart, and makes things finally click.

Real conversations where Sack might come up

You’ll hear Sack in hardware stores, bakeries, or while hauling heavy things around. It’s also used in casual German in expressions like jemandem den Sack voll geben (give someone a hard time) or im Sack haben (to have something in the bag).

– Kannst du den Sack mit Erde tragen?
– Der wiegt bestimmt zwanzig Kilo!
(“Can you carry the sack of soil?” – “It must weigh twenty kilos!”)

Beginner sample dialogue

Mia: Was ist da drin?
Noah: Ein Sack Kartoffeln. Die Oma hat sie geschickt.
Mia: So viele? Da können wir wochenlang kochen!

(Mia: What’s in there?
Noah: A sack of potatoes. Grandma sent them.
Mia: That many? We can cook for weeks!)

Grammar in action: How to use Sack

Let’s look at Sack in all four German cases:

• Nominative: Der Sack ist schwer.
  (The sack is heavy.)

• Accusative: Ich trage den Sack ins Haus.
  (I’m carrying the sack into the house.)

• Dative: Hilf mir mit dem Sack.
  (Help me with the sack.)

• Genitive: Der Inhalt des Sacks ist unbekannt.
  (The contents of the sack are unknown.)

Still getting used to German cases? Our easy-to-follow grammar course breaks it all down in clear English — no jargon, no overwhelm.

Other ways to say bag in German

Beutel is often used for smaller or softer bags (like a cloth bag or plastic sack), while Tüte is the go-to word for shopping bags. Rucksack (literally “back sack”) means backpack. But for big burlap or heavy-duty sacks — Sack is the right word.

Word variations and tidbits

Der Sack has roots in Latin (saccus) and shows up in many compound words:

• Müllsack – garbage bag

• Sandsack – sandbag

• Kartoffelsack – potato sack

• Schlafsack – sleeping bag

• Postsack – mailbag

It’s also part of a few colorful idioms. For example, „den Sack zumachen“ literally means “to close the sack,” and is used like “seal the deal.” Just be aware: in some informal or crude slang, Sack can refer to parts of the male anatomy — tone and context make all the difference.

Duden entry:
https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Sack

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Salat means?
What about Sand? One is fresh and leafy… the other gets everywhere.