Kuchen
/ˈkuːxən/
The German word Kuchen means cake.
The word Kuchen refers to cake. In German, all nouns, including Kuchen, must be capitalized.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun Kuchen is masculine and is used with the definite article der (der Kuchen). It is an indeclinable noun in its plural form, meaning the singular and plural are spelled the same.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkuːxən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers may confuse the noun Kuchen (cake) with a non-existent verb kuchen. The correct verb for 'to bake' is backen.
Did you know?
- The word Kuchen is a linguistic 'doublet' of the French word 'quiche'. Both words share the same ancient Germanic root, even though they seem to describe different things.
- In German culinary culture, a 'Kuchen' is often served in the afternoon as part of 'Kaffee und Kuchen', a social ritual similar to British afternoon tea.
- There is a specific type of German pastry called 'Kuchen' that is actually savory, such as 'Zwiebelkuchen' (onion cake), which behaves more like a pizza or a tart.
Examples in context
- Ich liebe es, Kuchen zu essen.I love eating cake.
- Der Kuchen schmeckt sehr gut.The cake tastes very good.
Example conversation
Lukas and Sarah are having coffee in the afternoon.
- LukasSarah, möchtest du ein Stück Kuchen?Sarah, would you like a piece of cake?
- SarahJa, gerne! Welcher Kuchen ist das?Yes, please! What cake is that?
- LukasEs ist ein Schokoladenkuchen.It is a chocolate cake.
- SarahDer Kuchen sieht fantastisch aus.The cake looks fantastic.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Kuchen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Kuchen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
