Parmesankäse
The English phrase "parmesan cheese" is translated into German as Parmesankäse.
Parmesankäse refers to a hard, aged Italian cheese that is typically grated over dishes like pasta or salads.
What does it mean word for word?
The word is a compound of Parmesan, meaning Parmesan and Käse, meaning cheese.
Which one should you use?
In many contexts, German speakers will use Parmesan as a shorthand for Parmesankäse.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun is masculine and is used with the definite article der (e.g., der Parmesankäse). When using an adjective with this noun as an object in the accusative case, the adjective takes an -en ending, such as in geriebenen Parmesankäse.
Did you know?
- If a German speaker uses the word Käse as slang, they are not talking about food, but are actually calling something 'nonsense'.
- In Germany, if you ask for Parmesankäse in a supermarket, you might receive a mass-produced product that has no legal connection to Italy's 'Parmigiano Reggiano'.
- When ordering Parmesankäse in a restaurant, Germans may use the word reiben as a verb to ask for the cheese to be grated fresh at the table.
Examples in context
- Parmesankäse kommt aus Parma in Italien.Parmesan cheese comes from Parma, Italy.This sentence is useful for stating the origin of Parmesankäse.Tatoeba #8054071 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #7033298 by Hybrid
- Spaghetti isst man am besten mit geriebenem Parmesankäse.Spaghetti is best eaten with some grated Parmesan cheese.This sentence shows how to use the form Parmesankäse when describing how to eat spaghetti.Tatoeba #10593663 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #10593564 by DostKaplan
- Entschuldigung, könnten Sie mir bitte Parmesankäse bringen?Excuse me, could you please bring me some Parmesan cheese?
- Ich brauche noch Parmesan für das Rezept.I still need some Parmesan for the recipe.
- Möchtest du etwas Parmesankäse über den Salat?Would you like some parmesan cheese over the salad?
Example conversation
Hannah and Lukas are cooking dinner together in the kitchen.
- HannahLukas, hast du den Parmesankäse gefunden?Lukas, did you find the parmesan cheese?
- LukasJa, er steht hier im Kühlschrank.Yes, it is here in the fridge.
- HannahSuper, kannst du ihn bitte reiben?Great, can you please grate it?
- LukasKlar, ich mache das sofort.Sure, I'll do that right away.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Parmesankäse, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
