Essen
/ˈɛsən/neuter
The English phrase "eating" is translated into German as Essen.
The noun Essen is used to describe the act of consuming food or the food itself. Using the phrase das Essen is a common way to refer specifically to the food being served or a particular meal.
Meaning: the act of consuming food (noun)
Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between the capitalized noun and the lowercase verb. The lowercase essen is the verb meaning "to eat", whereas the capitalized Essen is the noun meaning "eating" or "food".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛsən/
Did you know?
- German differentiates between essen for consuming food and fressen for how animals eat, but using fressen for a human is a common way to describe someone eating greedily.
- In Germany, the expression Mahlzeit is often used as a greeting during lunchtime, functioning as a shorthand for 'enjoy your meal' or simply 'hello'.
- The word Essen is also the name of a major industrial city in the Ruhr area of Germany.
Examples in context
- Sie essen im Hotel.They're eating in the hotel.This sentence shows the use of Essen in the context of people eating at a hotel.Tatoeba #724032 by kolonjano, translation #13215971 by frpzzd
- Essen Sie zu Mittag?Are you eating lunch?This sentence demonstrates the use of Essen when asking about eating lunch.Tatoeba #7319805 by Yorwba, translation #277611 by CK
- Ich gehe gern essen.I enjoy eating out.This sentence illustrates how Essen is used when talking about the preference for eating out.Tatoeba #8051854 by Luiaard, translation #5975527 by CK
- Ich habe gerade gegessen.I just ate.
- Bitte nehmen Sie Platz und speisen Sie mit uns.Please have a seat and dine with us.
- Lass uns in diesem neuen Restaurant futtern.Let's go eat at this new restaurant.
- Wir haben gestern richtig geschlemmt.We really enjoyed eating yesterday.
- Kinder, hört auf zu mampfen!Kids, stop munching!
- Beim Oktoberfest kann man herrlich schmausen.During Oktoberfest, you can indulge in delicious eating.
- 335 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are discussing their daily routines.
- LauraWann ist dein Essen fertig, Julian?When is your eating/meal ready, Julian?
- JulianDas Essen dauert noch zehn Minuten.The eating/meal will take another ten minutes.
- LauraIch freue mich auf das Essen.I am looking forward to the eating/meal.
- JulianIch auch, ich habe großen Hunger.Me too, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eating” translations and entries Essen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
