guten Appetit
The English phrase "eat well" can be expressed in German as guten Appetit.
The standard phrase used to wish someone an enjoyable meal in Germany, Austria and Switzerland is guten Appetit.
When do people say it?
When someone says guten Appetit, a common and polite way to respond if the other person is also about to eat is Danke, gleichfalls (Thanks, likewise).
Did you know?
- The word Appetit comes from the Latin word appetō, which originally meant 'to assail' or 'to attack'.
- The phrase Mahlzeit actually means 'mealtime' but is used as a greeting, a way to say 'bon appetit', and even a way to say 'hello' in many German companies.
- The word Appetit is a loanword that entered German via Old French, reflecting the historical influence of French courtly culture on German dining habits.
Examples in context
- Guten Appetit!Enjoy your meal!
- Danke, ebenfalls guten Appetit.Thanks, enjoy your meal too.
- Wir wünschen euch einen guten Appetit.We wish you all an enjoyable meal.
Example conversation
A couple is sitting down to eat lunch at a cafe.
- HannahDas Essen sieht lecker aus. Guten Appetit!The food looks delicious. Enjoy your meal!
- MaximilianVielen Dank, Hannah. Dir auch einen guten Appetit.Thank you, Hannah. Enjoy your meal too.
- HannahDanke, Maximilian. Lass es dir schmecken.Thanks, Maximilian. Enjoy it.
- MaximilianJa, das werde ich!Yes, I will!
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.
