Ei
/aɪ̯/neuter
The German word for egg is Ei.
Ei refers to the edible egg of a domestic fowl or the contents of such an egg used as food. When ordering specific preparations, you might use terms like gekochtes Ei for a boiled egg, Spiegelei for a fried egg, Rührei for scrambled eggs or Omelett for an omelet.
Meaning: edible egg of a domestic fowl, the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food (noun)
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The singular form is Ei, which is a neuter noun. The plural form is Eier. If you need to use the genitive singular (meaning 'of an egg'), use eines Eies.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɪ̯/
When do people say it?
In Germany, a boiled egg is often served in an Eierbecher (egg cup).
Did you know?
- Calling someone a hartes Ei (hard egg) in German doesn't describe their diet, but refers to a person who is tough, resilient and difficult to intimidate.
- A fried egg is called a Spiegelei, which translates literally to 'mirror egg' because of how the yolk looks on the pan.
- In some regional dialects, calling someone an Ei or Ei-Kopf is a mild way of calling them a 'dummy' or 'airhead'.
Examples in context
- Er isst ein Ei.He's eating an egg.This sentence shows the use of Ei in a simple statement about eating.Tatoeba #8320805 by MisterTrouser, translation #9510397 by sundown
- Das Ei ist hart.The egg is hard.This sentence describes a physical property of the Ei.Tatoeba #603813 by BraveSentry, translation #4993052 by wzhd
- Brat mir ein Ei.Fry an egg for me.This sentence uses Ei in the context of a request to fry one.Tatoeba #1314827 by al_ex_an_der, translation #325244 by CK
- Ich möchte ein Ei bitteI would like an egg, please
- Ein Hühnerei hat eine harte SchaleA chicken egg has a hard shell
- Kannst du mir bitte ein paar Eierchen geben?Can you please give me a few little eggs?
- Ich kaufe ein Dutzend EierI am buying a dozen eggs
- 162 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are deciding what to have for breakfast.
- LauraMöchtest du ein Ei zum Frühstück?Would you like an egg for breakfast?
- JulianJa, ich esse gerne ein Ei.Yes, I like eating an egg.
- LauraSoll ich das Ei kochen?Should I boil the egg?
- JulianNein, mach bitte ein Spiegelei.No, please make a fried egg.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “egg” translations and entries Ei, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
