"Ich habe einen grünen Rucksack."

Translation: I have a green backpack.

[brasilianland]

what case is this ?

[digitcrusher]

Accusative, einen - masculine in accusative

[Stephen620808]

In the Southeastern United States a backpack is suspended from the shoulders, while a rucksack is a heavy duty backpack that has extra straps that go around the waist and/or across the chest to distribute the weight. When I was in school, one might call a backpack a "bookbag" but never just a "bag". It's nice to hear the subtle usages in other parts of the world.

[dveesha]

In AU English, we use the word "bag" to refer to this. Providing more context to my report, as this was marked as incorrect

[christian]

It's just too vague. You could call a backpack "Tasche" in German as well, but without context, it wouldn't be clear that you're talking about a backpack. That's why we're not going to accept "bag".

die Tasche = the bag

der Rucksack = the backpack / the rucksack

[BirgitAsh]

Just bag even for this particular kind of "bag" you carry on your back?

[az_p]

In the right context - yes, that's how it's used in Australia from my experience too. For example, amongst school children and their parents it would usually be clear that the "bag" is the "schoolbag", usually a "rucksack".

I suppose whether or not it's an appropriate natural translation depends on whether we should interpret the German sentence as emphasising the specific type of bag, or just the colour. Without knowing that, I think it's better to keep the translation literal, using either "backpack" or "rucksack" in English.

[JRfH4r]

I use rucksack in English though I usually spell it rucsac - not sure where this spelling variant came from but no-one's ever questioned it. I would never (UK) call it a backpack.

[JoSmison]

Why is rucksack marked wrong, that's what we say in Britain, not so much backpack?