01
der Dreck
dirt
Dirt, filth, refuse, or mud. Used colloquially.
example
Nach dem Spaziergang im Regen waren seine Schuhe voller Dreck.
After the walk in the rain, his shoes were full of dirt.
der Dreck
dirt / crap
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Colloquial word
'Dreck' (dirt) is a colloquial word for dirt or filth. It is often avoided in more formal or written contexts.
EXAMPLE
Mach bitte deine Schuhe sauber, du bringst den ganzen Dreck ins Haus!
Please clean your shoes; you're bringing all the dirt into the house!
Word family
The adjective 'dreckig' (dirty) is derived directly from the noun 'der Dreck' (dirt). If something is 'voller Dreck' (full of dirt), then it is 'dreckig' (dirty).
EXAMPLE
Deine Hände sind ganz dreckig, wasch sie dir bitte vor dem Essen.
Your hands are really dirty; please wash them before eating.
Use in the singular
When 'Dreck' (dirt) means dirt or mud, it is treated as an uncountable noun and used almost exclusively in the singular.
EXAMPLE
Überall auf dem Boden war nasser Dreck von den Gummistiefeln.
There was wet dirt everywhere on the floor from the rubber boots.
Figurative meaning
Besides physical dirt, 'Dreck' (crap/mess) can also refer to an unpleasant situation or something of very poor quality. The context makes clear whether it is meant literally or figuratively.
EXAMPLE
Dieser Film ist der letzte Dreck, schalten wir lieber um.
This movie is complete crap; let's change the channel.
Fixed expression
The idiom 'sich einen Dreck um etwas scheren' (not to give a damn about something) is very colloquial and expresses strong disinterest. The verb 'scheren' is reflexive here and is used with the preposition 'um' + accusative.
EXAMPLE
Sie schert sich einen Dreck um seine Meinung.
She doesn't give a damn about his opinion.
Compare with
Dreck vs Mist
crap / manure
'der Mist' and 'der Dreck' can both mean something unpleasant or very bad. In addition, both also have a concrete, dirty meaning. 'Dreck' mainly means dirt, filth, refuse, or mud. 'Mist' concretely means the excrement of farm animals, often with straw, and is also used as fertilizer. Colloquially, you can use both 'Mist' and 'Dreck' to talk about bad work or a bad thing. They can be confused because both sound negative and colloquial. For ordinary dirt, 'Dreck' is more precise; for animal manure or an annoyed exclamation, 'Mist' is more natural.
Dreck
Nach dem Regen klebte viel Dreck an meinen Schuhen.
After the rain, a lot of dirt stuck to my shoes.
Mist
Auf dem Bauernhof lag frischer Mist neben dem Stall.
On the farm, fresh manure lay next to the stable.
In real life
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