Ich esse
/ɪç ˈɛsə/word by word
The German phrase for "I eat" is Ich esse.
Ich esse is a statement used to say that the speaker is consuming food.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase Ich esse, the verb essen (to eat) ends in -e because it is conjugated for the first-person singular ich.
How do you pronounce it?
/ɪç ˈɛsə/
Did you know?
- The word essen can also be a noun meaning 'a meal' or 'food'. If you capitalize it as das Essen, it refers to the meal itself rather than the act of eating.
- If you are eating very quickly or voraciously, a German might use the verb mampfen instead of essen to sound more informal or even slightly critical.
- In a formal restaurant setting, instead of saying Ich esse…, it is more common and polite to say Ich hätte gerne… which means 'I would like…'.
Examples in context
- Was kann ich essen?What can I eat?This example is useful for asking about food options.Tatoeba #8473313 by Luiaard, translation #4481667 by bandeirante
- Ich esse etwas Käse.I eat some cheese.This example shows how to specify what is being eaten.Tatoeba #5649147 by Esperantostern, translation #4283566 by jshholland
- Ich esse eine Bohne.I eat one bean.This example shows how to specify a single item being eaten.Tatoeba #8320777 by MisterTrouser, translation #10508890 by mollydot
- Ich esse gerne Pizza.I like to eat pizza.
- Wenn ich hungrig bin, nehme ich eine Mahlzeit zu mir.When I'm hungry, I consume a meal.
- Ich esse gerne Schokolade.I like to eat chocolate.
- Die Pizza sieht so lecker aus, ich hau richtig rein!The pizza looks so delicious, I'm really digging in!
- Die Pommes sind so lecker, dass ich sie gleich mampfe!The fries are so delicious, I'm going to shovel them away!
- 96 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are having lunch together in the kitchen.
- LukasIch esse gerade einen Apfel.I am eating an apple right now.
- SarahSieht gut aus, Lukas!Looks good, Lukas!
- LukasMöchtest du auch etwas essen?Would you like to eat something too?
- SarahNein danke, ich bin satt.No thanks, I am full.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (Ich, Esse) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
