guten Appetit
The German phrase for "good appetite" is guten Appetit.
guten Appetit is used as a polite greeting or blessing immediately before people begin eating a meal to wish them an enjoyable meal. It can also be used in the phrase einen guten Appetit haben to refer to the physiological state of being hungry or having a strong desire for food.
Which one should you use?
While guten Appetit is a common phrase to say to others, einen guten Appetit haben refers to the physiological state of being hungry or having a strong desire for food.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Switzerland, particularly in Swiss German, people use En Guete to express good appetite.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase guten Appetit is in the accusative case because it is a shortened version of Ich wünsche euch einen guten Appetit (I wish you a good appetite).
When do people say it?
When someone says guten Appetit to you and you are also eating, a common response is Danke, gleichfalls! (Thanks, likewise!).
Did you know?
- The word Appetit comes from the Latin appetō, which means 'to assail' or 'to attack'.
- In some traditional German circles, saying guten Appetit is considered impolite or a sign of lower social class because it focuses on the physical urge to eat.
- In many German-speaking offices, coworkers use Mahlzeit! as a way to say both 'hello' and 'enjoy your meal' during the lunch hour.
Examples in context
- Er hat einen guten Appetit.He has a good appetite.This sentence shows how to use guten Appetit when describing someone else's hunger.Tatoeba #3521796 by al_ex_an_der, translation #299795 by CK
- Ich habe einen guten Appetit.I have a good appetite.This sentence shows how to use guten Appetit when describing your own hunger.Tatoeba #3034330 by Zaghawa, translation #258757 by CK
- Hallo, Mahlzeit! Guten Appetit!Hello, enjoy your meal! Good appetite!
- Guten Appetit, meine Damen und Herren!Good appetite, ladies and gentlemen!
- Mahlzeit! Guten Appetit!Enjoy your meal! Good appetite!
- Lassen Sie es sich schmecken.May it taste good to you.
Example conversation
Laura and Felix are sitting down to a homemade dinner.
- LauraDas Essen ist fertig.The food is ready.
- FelixVielen Dank, Laura!Thank you very much, Laura!
- LauraGuten Appetit!Enjoy your meal!
- FelixDanke, gleichfalls!Thanks, you too!
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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
