Essenszeit
To say time to eat in German, use Essenszeit, meaning mealtime. To announce a meal in a full sentence, say Es ist Essenszeit!
Essenszeit is the noun for the concept of mealtime. When you call people to the table, the natural sentence is Es ist Essenszeit!, it is mealtime. Lasst uns essen! means let's eat.
What does it mean word for word?
Essenszeit is a compound of Essen, eating or meal and Zeit, time.
Which one should you use?
Essenszeit refers to the scheduled period for a meal. The literal Zeit zu essen fits a different context, as in having no time to eat.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Es ist Essenszeit! and Lasst uns essen! are informal. Wir können jetzt zu Tisch gehen, we can go to the table now, is a polite way to announce the meal. Es ist an der Zeit, dass wir uns zur Mahlzeit begeben. is formal. In many parts of Germany people say Mahlzeit on its own as a greeting around mealtime, especially at work.
How does it change in a sentence?
Essenszeit is a noun, so it is always written with a capital letter.
Did you know?
- The word Zeit in Essenszeit comes from the same ancient root as the English word 'tide', which originally meant 'time' rather than the movement of the ocean.
- While Essenszeit refers to the time for a meal, the greeting Mahlzeit is used in German workplaces as a way to say 'hello' to colleagues between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., even if no one is actually eating.
- Using the greeting Mahlzeit can be perceived as 'blue-collar' or too casual in very formal corporate environments, where Guten Tag remains the standard.
Examples in context
- Es ist Zeit zu essen. Bitte nehmen Sie Platz.It's time to eat. Please take a seat.
- Es ist Essenszeit! Setzt euch an den Tisch.It's mealtime! Sit at the table.
- Lasst uns essen! Alle sind herzlich willkommen.Let's eat! Everyone is welcome.
- Es ist jetzt Essenszeit.It is time to eat now.
- Kinder, Essenszeit!Children, time to eat!
Example conversation
Lukas calls Julia from the kitchen.
- LukasJulia, es ist Essenszeit!Julia, it is time to eat!
- JuliaIch komme sofort, Lukas.I am coming right away, Lukas.
- LukasBeeil dich, sonst wird es kalt.Hurry up, otherwise it will get cold.
- JuliaIch bin schon fast da.I am almost there.
