Salat
/zaˈlaːt/masculine
In German, lettuce is called Salat. Wiktionary also lists Gartensalat and Lattich.
Meaning: the leaves of the lettuce plant, eaten as a vegetable or dish (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Salat | /zaˈlaːt/ (Germany) /saˈlaːt/ (Austria, Southern Germany, Switzerland) |
masculine |
| Gartensalat | masculine | |
| Lattich | /ˈlatɪç/ | masculine |
The word Salat refers to both the lettuce plant itself and the prepared salad dish made from it. In a restaurant context, ordering einen Salat (a salad) usually implies a dish consisting of lettuce and other ingredients, rather than just the raw vegetable.
Which one should you use?
Salat is the general term used for both the plant and the dish.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Swiss German dialects, Lattich is the term used for lettuce.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of Salat is Salate.
How do you pronounce it?
/zaˈlaːt/
Did you know?
- The word Lattich is a linguistic relative of the English word 'lactate', as both derive from the Latin lactuca referring to the plant's milky sap.
- In German, the word Salat is used for any mixture of ingredients, meaning a potato salad or fruit salad is called a Salat despite containing no lettuce.
- Because Salat is so versatile, Germans use the specific term Blattsalat to clarify they mean 'leaf lettuce' and not a mixed salad bowl.
Examples in context
- Er wäscht meinen Salat.He washes my lettuce.This sentence shows the use of Salat as a masculine object being washed.Tatoeba #5257974 by bonny37, translation #5254811 by Airvian
- Du wäschst meinen Salat.You wash my lettuce.This sentence demonstrates the conjugation of the verb with the word Salat.Tatoeba #5257975 by bonny37, translation #5254810 by Airvian
- Soll ich den Salat waschen?Shall I wash the lettuce?This sentence shows how to use the definite article with Salat in a question.Tatoeba #3327280 by al_ex_an_der, translation #9237937 by sundown
- Bitte reichen Sie mir etwas Eisbergsalat.Please pass me some lettuce.
- Würden Sie den Kopfsalat waschen, bitte?Could you wash the lettuce, please?
- Kannst du mir bitte einen grünen Salat machen?Can you please make me a green salad?
- 26 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Julian are preparing lunch in the kitchen.
- LauraJulian, ist der Salat schon gewaschen?Julian, is the lettuce washed already?
- JulianNein, ich mache das gleich.No, I will do that in a moment.
- LauraBrauchst du Hilfe bei dem Salat?Do you need help with the lettuce?
- JulianDanke, Laura, aber ich schaffe das alleine.Thanks, Laura, but I can manage it alone.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lettuce” translations and entries Salat, Lattich, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Lattich, Salat, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
