Meeresfrüchte
/ˈmeːʁəsˌfʁʏçtə/feminine, plural, singular
The English phrase seafood is Meeresfrüchte in German. Wiktionary also lists Meeresfrucht.
Meaning: fish, shellfish, seaweed and other edible aquatic life (noun)
Ways to say it
| German | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Meeresfrüchte | /ˈmeːʁəsˌfʁʏçtə/ | feminine, plural, singular |
| Meeresfrucht | feminine |
Meeresfrüchte is a collective noun used to describe fish, shellfish, seaweed and other edible aquatic life. In a restaurant setting, it is often used more broadly than just 'fish'.
What does it mean word for word?
The word Meeresfrüchte is a compound of Meer (sea) and Früchte (fruits).
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form Meeresfrüchte is used almost exclusively to refer to seafood as a food category.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmeːʁəsˌfʁʏçtə/
Did you know?
- While Meeresfrüchte literally means 'fruits of the sea', it rarely includes fish in a culinary sense. A German menu listing Meeresfrüchte usually refers specifically to shellfish and mollusks, while fish are listed separately as Fisch.
- The word Frucht in Meeresfrüchte comes from the same root as the English word 'fruit'. In older German, it referred to any 'produce' or 'yield' of the land or sea, not just sweet plant organs.
- The word Meer in Meeresfrüchte is the root for the English word 'mere', which originally meant a lake or a pool of water.
Examples in context
- Tom bat um Meeresfrüchte.Tom requested seafood.This sentence is useful for showing how to request Meeresfrüchte.Tatoeba #7441740 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5752457 by CM
- Ißt du viele Meeresfrüchte?Do you eat a lot of seafood?This sentence is useful for asking if someone eats Meeresfrüchte.Tatoeba #12671604 by Waldelfe, translation #9479777 by CK
- Ich esse gerne Meeresfrüchte.I like eating seafood.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for Meeresfrüchte.Tatoeba #12329048 by mayabe, translation #2656864 by CM
- Ich hätte gerne eine Vorspeise mit Meeresfrüchten, bitte.I would like a seafood appetizer, please.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lukas and Julia are deciding what to eat at a restaurant.
- LukasWas möchtest du heute essen, Julia?What would you like to eat today, Julia?
- JuliaIch hätte gerne Meeresfrüchte.I would like seafood.
- LukasDann bestellen wir die Meeresfrüchte-Platte.Then we will order the seafood platter.
- JuliaDas klingt fantastisch!That sounds fantastic!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seafood” translations and entries Meeresfrüchte, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Meeresfrüchte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
