essen
/ˈɛsən/
The German phrase for 'to eat' is essen.
The verb essen describes the act of putting food into the mouth, chewing and swallowing it.
How does it change in a sentence?
The verb essen is not a separable verb. The third-person singular form is isst, the simple past form is aß and the past participle is gegessen.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈɛsən/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the term fressen when referring to people, as it is an informal and sometimes impolite term used humorously or when referring to animals eating.
Did you know?
- While essen is used for people, the verb fressen is used for animals. Calling a person a Fresser implies they eat greedily or without manners.
- The word Essig meaning 'vinegar' is derived from the same root as essen. It literally refers to a sour substance produced from the process of fermented wine.
- The verb essen shares the exact same linguistic ancestor as the English word 'eat', making them distant cousins from the Proto-Indo-European root *h₁ed-.
Examples in context
- Wie soll ich essen?How am I supposed to eat?This sentence is useful for asking about the manner of eating with essen.Tatoeba #1687847 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1664214 by Spamster
- Wo willst du essen?Where do you want to eat?This sentence is useful for asking about a location for eating with essen.Tatoeba #2108979 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #1886618 by CK
- Ich will das essen.I want to eat this.This sentence is useful for expressing a desire to eat something with essen.Tatoeba #8173265 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #5152930 by CarpeLanam
- Ich esse gerne Pizza.I like to eat pizza.
- Wir haben gestern in einem feinen Restaurant gegessen.We ate at a fancy restaurant yesterday.
- Kommen Sie herein und speisen Sie in unserem exklusiven Restaurant.Come in and dine at our exclusive restaurant.
- Heute Abend werden wir königlich speisen.Tonight we will dine like royalty.
- Der Hund frisst sein Futter.The dog is eating its food.
- Hast du gerade den Kuchen gefressen?Did you just devour the cake?
- Lass uns in die Pizzeria gehen und ordentlich futtern!Let's go to the pizzeria and eat plenty!
- 973 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to have for dinner at home.
- LauraJulian, was möchtest du heute essen?Julian, what do you want to eat today?
- JulianIch möchte gerne Pasta essen.I would like to eat pasta.
- LauraDas ist eine gute Idee.That is a good idea.
- JulianDann werde ich sie für dich kochen.Then I will cook it for you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry essen, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries essen, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
