der Ranzen
schoolbag
A bag worn on the back, especially a child's schoolbag.
EXAMPLE
Mia packt ihre Bücher in den Ranzen.
Mia packs her books into her schoolbag.
der Ranzen
schoolbag / belly
der Ranzen, die Ranzen
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Meanings
der Ranzen
belly
Informal: the belly, especially a large or fat belly.
EXAMPLE
Nach dem reichhaltigen Essen hielt er sich den vollen Ranzen.
After the rich meal, he held his full belly.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Ranzen, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Ranzen |
| genitive | des Ranzens |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Ranzen | die Ranzen |
| accusative | den Ranzen | die Ranzen |
| dative | dem Ranzen | den Ranzen |
| genitive | des Ranzens | der Ranzen |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Two meanings
Depending on the context, 'Ranzen' (schoolbag / belly) can refer to a schoolbag worn on the back or to someone's belly. As a word for a schoolbag, it is standard German, and the bag is also often called a 'Schulranzen' (schoolbag). In the sense of 'Bauch' (belly), it is distinctly casual and colloquial.
EXAMPLE
Die Kinder stellten ihre Ranzen vor dem Klassenzimmer ab.
The children put their schoolbags down outside the classroom.
School context
In its schoolbag sense, 'Ranzen' (schoolbag) often appears with verbs such as 'packen' (to pack), 'tragen' (to carry), 'aufsetzen' (to put on), or 'abstellen' (to put down). Words such as 'Bücher' (books), 'Hefte' (exercise books), and 'Schule' (school) make this meaning easy to recognize in context.
EXAMPLE
Jonas setzte seinen Ranzen auf und lief zur Bushaltestelle.
Jonas put on his schoolbag and ran to the bus stop.
Referring to the belly
In the sense of 'Bauch' (belly), 'Ranzen' (belly) often appears in expressions such as 'sich den Ranzen vollschlagen' (to stuff one's belly) or 'den Ranzen einziehen' (to suck in one's belly). This use is distinctly colloquial and often fits situations involving food or weight.
EXAMPLE
Am Buffet hat er sich ordentlich den Ranzen vollgeschlagen.
He really stuffed his belly at the buffet.
In real life
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