Göffel
/ˈɡœfl̩/masculine
The German word for 'spork' is Göffel.
A spork is an eating utensil that combines the features of a fork and a spoon. In German, you can use different terms depending on how formal you want to be.
Meaning: eating utensil (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word Göffel is a portmanteau of Gabel (fork) and Löffel (spoon).
Which one should you use?
Göffel is an informal way to refer to the utensil. For a more formal way to say 'spork', you can use Gabellöffel. Alternatively, the term Mehrzweckbesteck can be used to describe it as 'multi-purpose cutlery'.
How does it change in a sentence?
Göffel is a masculine noun. When this noun is the direct object of a sentence (the accusative case), the definite article changes to den Göffel and the indefinite article changes to einen Göffel.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɡœfl̩/
Did you know?
- The term Göffel is a modern linguistic creation, likely influenced by the English 'spork' or even the Dutch 'foon'.
- German allows for the creation of endless 'hybrid' words like Göffel by fusing nouns, a feature of the language called 'Komposita'.
- While Göffel is common in casual speech, a German person would use the clinical term Mehrzweckbesteck on a formal menu or in a product catalog.
Examples in context
- Ich bekam zum Essen nur einen Göffel.They only gave me a spork to eat it with.This sentence shows how to use the masculine form Göffel as a direct object.Tatoeba #12572430 by Waldelfe, translation #10339371 by shekitten
- Entschuldigung, haben Sie einen Gabellöffel? Ich möchte gerne Suppe und Salat essen.Excuse me, do you have a spork? I would like to eat soup and salad.
- Hey, pass mal den Göffel rüber! Der sieht echt cool aus!Hey, pass me the spork! It looks really cool!
- Der Göffel ist aus Plastik.The spork is made of plastic.
- Brauchen wir einen Göffel für den Salat?Do we need a spork for the salad?
Example conversation
Julia and Julian are packing their gear for a hike.
- JuliaJulian, hast du dein Besteck eingepackt?Julian, did you pack your cutlery?
- JulianJa, ich habe nur einen Göffel dabei.Yes, I only have a spork with me.
- JuliaDas reicht für den Salat aus.That is enough for the salad.
- JulianGenau, das spart viel Platz.Exactly, that saves a lot of space.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spork” translations and entries Göffel, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Göffel, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
