Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| trinken | /ˈtʁɪŋkən/ /ˈtrɪŋkən/ |
| saufen | /ˈzaʊ̯fən/ /ˈsao̯fn̩/ (Austria, Bavaria) |
The primary way to express consuming liquid through the mouth is with the verb trinken. Related nouns include Trinken to describe the act of drinking and Drink to refer to alcoholic beverages in general. For a diminutive, informal way to refer to a drink, one can use Getränkchen.
Which one should you use?
While trinken is the neutral verb for drinking, saufen is used to describe heavy, often uncontrolled, alcohol consumption or is used for animals drinking.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
trinken is the neutral, standard term. In contrast, saufen is an informal way to describe drinking heavily and Getränkchen is an informal, diminutive way to say a drink.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The simple past form of trinken is trank. To form perfect tenses, use the past participle getrunken, such as in Ich habe getrunken (I have drunk). When used as a noun meaning the act of drinking, it is capitalized as das Trinken.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʁɪŋkən/
Did you know?
- The German verb saufen is the linguistic relative of the English word 'sup', which historically meant to take liquid sips.
- The phrase einen trinken gehen literally means 'to go drink one', but it functions as a common idiom meaning to go out for a few drinks with friends.
- Using the diminutive Getränkchen can be a way to suggest a drink in a flirtatious or coaxing manner rather than just describing the size.
Examples in context
- Die trinken zu viel.They drink too much.This sentence shows how to use trinken to describe someone consuming too much.Tatoeba #9231045 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #2860877 by AlanF_US
- Trinken Sie den Tee!Drink the tea.This sentence shows how to use trinken in an imperative command.Tatoeba #13745453 by Waldelfe, translation #11540714 by Teashrock
- Ob sie Milch trinken?Do they drink milk?This sentence shows how to use trinken to ask a question about milk consumption.Tatoeba #6312398 by Esperantostern, translation #5974504 by CarpeLanam
- Ich möchte ein Getränk bestellen, bitte.I would like to order a drink, please.
- Die Speisekarte bietet eine große Auswahl an Getränken.The menu offers a wide selection of drinks.
- Ein kühles Getränk erfrischt an heißen Tagen.A cold drink refreshes on hot days.
- Lass uns ein Getränkchen zu uns nehmen und über alte Zeiten reden.Let's have a little drink and talk about old times.
- Komm vorbei und trink ein kleines Getränkchen mit mir.Swing by and have a small drink with me.
- Nimm doch noch einen Schluck deines Biers.Why not take another sip of your beer?
- Ich habe einen leckeren Schluck von dem Saft genommen.I took a delicious gulp of the juice.
- 793 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Julia and Lukas are sitting in a cafe.
- JuliaMöchtest du etwas trinken, Lukas?Would you like to drink something, Lukas?
- LukasJa, ich möchte einen Kaffee trinken.Yes, I would like to drink a coffee.
- JuliaIch trinke lieber einen Tee.I prefer to drink a tea.
- LukasAlles klar, bestellen wir!All right, let's order!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “drink” translations and entries trinken, saufen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries saufen, trinken, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
