guten Appetit
The German phrase for "bon appetit" is guten Appetit.
guten Appetit is used as a polite social convention to signal the start of a meal. It is often said by a host or by everyone at the table before anyone takes their first bite.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the adjective guten (good) and the noun Appetit (appetite).
Which one should you use?
While the French phrase "Bon appétit" is frequently used in English, guten Appetit is the standard native expression in German.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Austria, you can use the informal phrase An Guadn!, while in Switzerland, people typically say En Guete!
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase is an elliptical form of Ich wünsche Ihnen einen guten Appetit (I wish you a good appetite). Because Appetit is a masculine noun in the accusative case, the adjective gut takes the -en ending to become guten.
When do people say it?
When someone says guten Appetit to you, a common response if they are also about to eat is Danke, gleichfalls! (Thanks, likewise!).
Did you know?
- The word Appetit descends from the Latin appetō, which originally meant 'to assail' or 'to attack'. This suggests that having an appetite was once viewed as an aggressive act of striving.
- In many German workplaces, people use the word Mahlzeit as a greeting during the lunch hour. Unlike guten Appetit, it is used as a general greeting even if no food is actually being eaten at that moment.
- In many parts of Germany, starting your meal before the host has officially said guten Appetit is not just seen as impolite, but can be considered actively rude.
Examples in context
- Guten Appetit, meine Damen und Herren!Wish all the guests a good appetite
- Guten Appetit!Enjoy your meal!
- Ich wünsche euch einen guten Appetit.I wish you all a good meal.
Example conversation
Laura and Maximilian are sitting down at a restaurant.
- LauraDas Essen sieht toll aus. Guten Appetit!The food looks great. Enjoy your meal!
- MaximilianDanke, Laura. Dir auch einen guten Appetit!Thanks, Laura. Enjoy your meal too!
- LauraVielen Dank!Thank you very much!
- MaximilianLass es dir schmecken.Enjoy your food.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry guten Appetit, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Appetit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
