Talking about food in German using 'essen'
To talk about food and drink, use the verbs essen (to eat) and trinken (to drink):
- Ich esse Pizza - I eat pizza.
- Ich trinke Wasser - I drink water.
Look at the tables below. Can you see any food and drinks you like?
Food
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Salat | salad |
| der Kuchen | cake |
| der Toast | toast |
| der Apfel | apple |
| die Pommes | chips |
| die Pizza | pizza |
| die Schokolade | chocolate |
| die Nudeln | pasta |
| die Marmelade | jam |
| das Brot | bread |
| das Obst | fruit |
| das Gemüse | vegetables |
| das Hähnchen | chicken |
| das Curry | curry |
| das Fleisch | meat |
Drinks
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Cola | cola |
| das Wasser | water |
| der Orangensaft | orange juice |
| die Limonade | lemonade |
| der Kaffee | coffee |
| die Milch | milk |
| der Tee | tea |
Giving opinions on food and drink
To say you like something, add the adverb gern after the verb. Add nicht if you don’t like something.
- Ich esse gern Salat - I like eating salad.
- Ich trinke nicht gern Wasser - I don’t like drinking water.
You can add more detail to your opinions by using denn (because) with adjectives.
- Ich esse gern Kuchen, denn es ist lecker! - I like eating cake because it is tasty.
- Ich esse gern Curry, denn es ist scharf! - I like eating curry because it is spicy.
To ask someone about what food and drink they like, you can ask:
- Was isst du gern? - What do you like to eat?
- Was trinkst du gern? - What do you like to drink?
- Was isst du nicht gern? - What don’t you like to eat?
- Was trinkst du nicht gern? - What don’t you like to drink?
Talking about plural foods
When talking about a plural food or drink, change es ist (it is) to sie sind which means they are. Plural means more than one of something.
- Ich esse nicht gern Pommes, denn sie sind salzig - I don’t like eating chips because they are salty.
- Ich esse gern Kekse, denn sie sind süß - I like eating biscuits because they are sweet.
Ich esse gern Erdbeeren, denn sie sind köstlich - I like eating strawberries because they are delicious.
Can you write your own opinion sentences using the adjectives below?
| German | English |
|---|---|
| denn | because |
| sehr | very |
| nicht | not |
| köstlich | delicious |
| lecker | tasty |
| gesund | healthy |
| ekelhaft | disgusting |
| erfrischend | refreshing |
| süß | sweet |
| scharf | spicy |
| salzig | salty |
Dietary requirements
Some people have special dietary requirements, meaning they can only eat certain foods. If you have any special dietary requirements, you may need the following phrases:
- Ich esse kein Fleisch, denn ich bin Vegetarier - I don’t eat meat because I am vegetarian.
- Ich trinke Sojamilch, denn ich bin Veganer - I drink soya milk because I am vegan.
- Ich esse keine Nüsse, denn ich habe eine Allergie - I don’t eat nuts because I have an allergy.
- Ich bin allergisch gegen Gluten - I am allergic to gluten.
- Ich habe Zöliakie - I have coeliac disease.
To talk about a female vegetarian or vegan, add -in to the end of Vegetarier and Veganer.
- Sie ist Vegetarierin - She is vegeterian.
- Sie ist Veganerin - She is vegan.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Halal-Fleisch | halal meat |
| die Milchprodukte | dairy |
| die Eier | eggs |
| die Nüsse | nuts |
| die Erdnüsse | peanuts |
| das Gluten | gluten |
| der Weizen | wheat |
| die Zöliakie | coeliac disease |
Talking about what you eat for different meals
Meals are an important part of talking about eating food. In German, the verb always has to be the second idea in a sentence. When talking or writing about meal times, place the verb straight after the meal phrase, like zum Frühstück (for breakfast) or zum Mittagessen (for lunch).
- Zum Frühstück esse ich Toast und Marmelade - For breakfast I eat toast and jam.
- Zum Mittagessen esse ich Pizza und ich trinke Wasser - For lunch I eat pizza and I drink water.
Zum Abendessen esse ich gern Hähnchen und Gemüse, denn es ist lecker - For dinner I like eating chicken and vegetables because it is tasty.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Frühstück | breakfast |
| das Mittagessen | lunch |
| das Abendessen | evening meal/dinner |
Quiz
Watch the video and test your understanding in this short quiz!
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