zack
bam
Colloquially expresses that something happens very quickly, suddenly, or with a brief, decisive movement.
EXAMPLE
Er nahm den Schlüssel, drehte ihn um und zack, war die Tür offen.
He took the key, turned it, and bam, the door was open.
zack
bam
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Meanings
Usage tips
Colloquial language
'Zack' (bam) is distinctly colloquial and works especially well in lively, spoken stories. In factual or formal texts, it often sounds too casual.
EXAMPLE
Er drückte auf den Knopf und zack, ging das Licht an.
He pressed the button and bam, the light came on.
Sentence position
'Zack' (bam) often comes after 'und' (and) or as a brief insertion between two steps in an action. It is often set off with commas.
EXAMPLE
Sie stellte die Tasche ab und zack, rannte der Hund damit davon.
She put the bag down and bam, the dog ran off with it.
Sudden change
In context, 'zack' (bam) often announces a surprising or particularly rapid change. The result of the action usually follows immediately.
EXAMPLE
Der Wind drehte plötzlich, zack, flog die Zeitung über den Zaun.
The wind suddenly changed direction, bam, and the newspaper flew over the fence.
In real life
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