Translation guide
The English word 'sack' has several distinct meanings: a large bag, the act of firing someone from a job, and (in American football) tackling the quarterback. This guide covers the most common uses for learners.
A large bag made of coarse material, used for storing or carrying goods.
General word for 'bag' or 'sack'. Can be used for various types of bags, including sacks.
To be fired or dismissed from employment.
Common colloquial phrase meaning 'to be fired' or 'to get the sack'. Literally 'to become neck'.
In American football, to tackle the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage.
Loanword from English, used as a suru-verb in Japanese sports commentary.
Do not translate 'get the sack' literally as 袋をもらう. Use 首になる or 解雇される instead.
He got the sack.
じゃがいもを袋に入れてください。
Please put the potatoes in a sack.
Specifically a 'hemp sack' or 'burlap sack', often used for rice or grains.
The rice is stored in hemp sacks.
Literally 'large bag', can be used to emphasize the size of a sack.
I filled a large sack with soil.
He got the sack for being late too often.
Transitive version: 'to fire someone'. Often written in katakana for emphasis.
The boss sacked him.
Formal term for 'dismissal' or 'discharge'. Used in official contexts.
He was sacked for misconduct.
Literary or formal term for 'dismissal', literally 'beheading'. Rarely used in everyday speech.
Many employees were sacked due to the recession.
The defense sacked the quarterback.
Noun form meaning 'a sack' (the act of tackling the QB).
He recorded 10 sacks this season.