der Saustall
mess
Colloquial and derogatory: a very dirty and untidy room or place.
EXAMPLE
Räum endlich dein Zimmer auf, das ist ja ein Saustall!
Clean your room at last—that place is a complete mess!
der Saustall
pigsty / mess
der Saustall, die Sauställe
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Meanings
der Saustall
pigsty
A barn or enclosure where pigs are kept.
EXAMPLE
Der Bauer brachte frisches Stroh in den Saustall.
The farmer brought fresh straw into the pigsty.
der Saustall
shambles
Colloquial and derogatory: a state of great disorder or poor organization in which rules and duties are disregarded.
EXAMPLE
Seit Monaten werden Rechnungen doppelt bezahlt oder gar nicht bearbeitet – in dieser Verwaltung herrscht ein unglaublicher Saustall.
For months, invoices have been paid twice or not processed at all—in this administration, everything is an incredible shambles.
Forms
Forms adapted from the German Wiktionary entry Saustall, by Wiktionary contributors, licence CC BY-SA 4.0.
At a glance
| gender | masculine der |
|---|---|
| plural | die Sauställe |
| genitive | des Saustalles |
The four cases
| singular | plural | |
|---|---|---|
| nominative | der Saustall | die Sauställe |
| accusative | den Saustall | die Sauställe |
| dative | dem Saustall | den Sauställen |
| genitive | des Saustalles des Saustalls | der Sauställe |
The article changes with the case; it is shown in colour.
Usage tips
Word formation
'Saustall' (pigsty) is made up of 'Sau' (sow/pig) and 'Stall' (stable/barn). Literally, the word refers to a barn for pigs; this also gave rise to its derogatory use for severe disorder.
EXAMPLE
Im alten Saustall lagen überall Stroh und Futterreste.
There was straw and leftover feed everywhere in the old pigsty.
Register and style
The figurative meanings of 'Saustall' (mess/shambles) are colloquial and clearly derogatory. The word usually expresses annoyance or indignation about disorder or poor conditions.
EXAMPLE
Was habt ihr in der Küche gemacht? Hier sieht es ja aus wie in einem Saustall!
What have you done in the kitchen? It looks like a complete mess!
Typical usage
For a dirty or untidy room, 'Saustall' (mess) often follows 'sein' (to be) or appears in the phrase 'wie ein Saustall aussehen' (to look like a mess). The accusation is often directed straight at a person.
EXAMPLE
Nach der Party war das Wohnzimmer ein kompletter Saustall.
After the party, the living room was a complete mess.
Literal meaning
The literal meaning can usually be recognized from agricultural words such as 'Schweine' (pigs), 'Futter' (feed), 'Stroh' (straw), or 'Bauer' (farmer). In this context, 'Saustall' (pigsty) refers to a building or area for pigs.
EXAMPLE
Die Schweine wurden morgens in den Saustall getrieben.
The pigs were driven into the pigsty in the morning.
Figurative usage
When used for an organization or administration, 'Saustall' (shambles) refers to chaotic procedures, poor organization, or neglected duties, rather than dirt. A typical phrase is 'In dieser Organisation herrscht ein Saustall' (This organization is a complete shambles).
EXAMPLE
Wegen der fehlenden Zuständigkeiten herrscht in der Abteilung ein völliger Saustall.
Because responsibilities were unclear, the department was in a complete shambles.
In real life
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