blank / singleton
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blank
Not filled in or unwritten, especially for forms, checks, or documents.
Bitte unterschreiben Sie das Formular nicht blanko, sondern füllen Sie es erst vollständig aus.
Please do not sign the form blank; fill it out completely first.
singleton
In card games, especially Skat or Doppelkopf, this means having only a single card of a particular suit in your hand.
Ich hatte den Kreuz-Buben leider blanko und konnte ihn nicht schützen.
Unfortunately, I had the jack of clubs as a singleton and couldn't protect it.
The adjective 'blanko' (blank) is often not declined and stands like an adverb after the noun. This usage is especially common in the meaning of 'unfilled-in'.
Man sollte niemals einen Scheck blanko unterschreiben.
You should never sign a check blank.
'Blanko' comes from the Italian word 'bianco' or the Spanish 'blanco', both of which mean 'white'. The meaning 'unwritten' is derived from an empty, white sheet of paper.
Er gab mir eine Blankovollmacht, um in seinem Namen zu handeln.
He gave me a blank authorization to act on his behalf.
In connection with documents, 'blanko' (blank) is often used in fixed expressions. Typical examples are 'ein Blankoscheck' (a blank check), 'eine Blankovollmacht' (a blank authorization), or 'blanko unterschreiben' (to sign blank).
Eine Blankovollmacht gibt einer anderen Person sehr viel Macht.
A blank authorization gives another person a great deal of power.
This special meaning of 'blanko' (singleton) is used almost exclusively in card games. If you hear the word in the context of 'Karten' (cards), 'Farbe' (suit), or games like 'Skat', this is the meaning intended.
Ich konnte den Stich nicht machen, weil ich die Trumpf-Dame blanko hatte.
I couldn't take the trick because I had the queen of trumps as a singleton.
empty
A form is leer (empty) when it contains no content or entries. Blanco more specifically emphasizes that it has not yet been filled in or written on. Both words are possible for documents, but blanco focuses on the filling in that still needs to be done.
Das Formular bleibt blanco, damit der Kunde es beim Termin ausfüllen kann.
The form remains blank so that the customer can fill it in at the appointment.
Das Formular ist leer, weil noch keine Angaben darin stehen.
The form is empty because it does not contain any information yet.
