The German word for sock is die Socke.
Socke in German is used exactly like in English—for everyday socks, sportswear, laundry days, and dressing kids. The plural is Socken, which you’ll hear all the time if you ever spend time in a German home!
It’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German (and yes, the whole list is available as a free illustrated PDF).
Gender and Pronunciation
It’s a feminine noun: die Socke.
Want to get genders right every time? This video lesson gives you the tools.
Pronunciation:
Socke is pronounced [ZOCK-uh]
“ZOCK” rhymes with “rock”
Ends in a soft “uh” like “sofa”
Two syllables: ZOCK-uh
Example sentences
Ich finde meine andere Socke nicht!
I can’t find my other sock!
Im Winter brauche ich warme Socken.
I need warm socks in winter.
Die Socke hat ein Loch.
The sock has a hole.
How does this word come up in real conversations?
"Wo sind meine Sportsocken?"
Where are my sport socks?
"Ich hasse es, wenn eine Socke in der Waschmaschine verschwindet."
I hate when one sock disappears in the washing machine.
"Diese Socken sind aus Wolle – super warm!"
These socks are made of wool—super warm!
Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)
Nina: Hast du meine grünen Socken gesehen?
Leo: Die mit den Streifen?
Nina: Ja! Eine fehlt schon wieder...
Leo: Guck mal unter dem Sofa!
Translation:
Nina: Have you seen my green socks?
Leo: The ones with stripes?
Nina: Yes! One’s missing again…
Leo: Check under the sofa!
Grammatical case examples
Nominative:
Die Socke ist bunt.
The sock is colorful.
Accusative:
Ich habe die Socke gefunden.
I found the sock.
Dative:
Ich gebe der Socke einen Platz im Schrank.
I give the sock a place in the drawer.
Genitive:
Die Farbe der Socke gefällt mir.
I like the color of the sock.
Other ways to say sock in German
While Socke is the standard word for sock in German, other terms include Strumpf, which can mean longer socks or stockings (especially Kniestrumpf or Feinstrumpf for dress socks and tights). In regional dialects or among older speakers, Söckchen (little sock) may be used. But in everyday life—especially when talking about mismatches or warm feet—Socke is your go-to.
Word variations and tidbits
Socke appears in everyday phrases like Socken anziehen (put on socks), ohne Socken gehen (go sockless), or jemandem die Socken ausziehen (to blow someone’s socks off—figuratively). Compound words include Wollsocke (wool sock), Sportsocke (athletic sock), Kindersocke (kid’s sock), and Sockenfach (sock drawer). There’s even the classic joke setup in German: “Warum tragen Geister keine Socken? – Weil sie durchsichtige Füße haben!”
📘 Duden entry for Socke
🎥 Want to learn German from the ground up—starting with your Socken? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 German nouns—step by step, warmly, and with a printable PDF you won’t want to lose like that one missing sock.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Sohn means? He’s the one always running around in just one Socke.
And what about Soldat? Even he has a drawer full of perfectly folded Socken.