essen
/ˈɛsən/
To eat in German is essen. Wiktionary also lists speisen.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA |
|---|---|
| essen | /ˈɛsən/ |
| speisen | /ˈʃpaɪ̯zən/ |
The most common and general way to say 'eat' in German is essen. You may also use terms for specific meals, such as Frühstück for breakfast, Mittagessen for lunch, Abendessen for dinner or Snack for a snack.
Which one should you use?
While essen is the standard word for eating, speisen is a much more formal and elevated term that translates more closely to 'to dine' or 'to feast'.
How does it change in a sentence?
essen is an irregular strong verb. Because of this, the third-person singular form changes from essen to isst.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛsən/
Did you know?
- German has a specific verb fressen used for when animals eat. Using fressen to describe a human eating is a strong insult that implies the person has no manners or is eating greedily.
- In many German households, it is common to say Guten Appetit! before starting to essen. This is the equivalent of saying 'Bon appétit' and is a social expectation in most dining settings.
- The German word essen is a distant cousin of the English word 'eat' as they both descend from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ed-. This means they share a common ancestor with the Latin word edō and the Russian word есть.
Examples in context
- Essen Sie das auf.Eat this up.This sentence shows how to use essen to give a command to finish food.Tatoeba #1762630 by Espi, translation #1735075 by shanghainese
- Essen Sie mit uns.Eat with us.This sentence uses essen to invite someone to join a meal.Tatoeba #7456441 by Yorwba, translation #2245415 by CK
- Sie essen zu viel.You eat too much.This sentence uses essen to describe someone's eating habits.Tatoeba #7678220 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #3822193 by CK
- Würden Sie gern etwas essen?Would you like to eat something?
- Ja, ich möchte essen.Yes, I would like to eat.
- Möchten Sie bei uns speisen?Would you like to dine with us?
- Ja, ich möchte gerne bei Ihnen speisen.Yes, I would like to dine with you.
- Lass uns gemeinsam in der Kantine futtern.Let's eat together in the cafeteria.
- Lass uns eine Currywurst mampfen!Let's chow down on a currywurst!
- Hast du schon genug genagt?Have you nibbled enough yet?
- 1924 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hannah and Maximilian are deciding what to do for lunch.
- HannahMaximilian, wollen wir draußen essen?Maximilian, do we want to eat outside?
- MaximilianJa, das Wetter ist toll.Yes, the weather is great.
- HannahSollen wir etwas Leckeres essen?Should we eat something delicious?
- MaximilianLass uns eine Pizza bestellen.Let's order a pizza.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries essen, speisen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries essen, speisen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
