German · Food & Drink
"Dinner" in German: Abendessen
das Abendessen
Dinner in German is das Abendessen. Many families also say zu Abend essen. Abendbrot is a lighter evening meal with bread.
Calling home
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How to pronounce Abendessen
Say it
AH-bent-ess-en
/ˈaːbn̩tˌɛsn̩/
AH-bent-ess-en. Stress on Abend. Separate essen.
"Dinner" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| das Abendessen | dinner / evening meal General word. | General word. |
| zu Abend essen | to eat dinner Verb phrase. | Verb phrase. |
| Abendbrot | evening bread meal Lighter cold dinner. | Lighter cold dinner. |
| Dinner | dinner (loanword) Restaurants and fancier plans. | Restaurants and fancier plans. |
How to use Abendessen in real life
- 1Calling home
Wann gibt's Abendessen?
When is dinner?
gibt's = gibt es.
- 2Invite
Kommt ihr zum Abendessen?
Are you coming for dinner?
zum Abendessen.
- 3Cooking night
Das Abendessen dauert noch zehn Minuten.
Dinner will take another ten minutes.
Timing update.
Mistakes English speakers make with Abendessen
Incorrect: Ich esse Dinner um sieben. (only English)
Correct: Ich esse um sieben zu Abend. / Wir haben um sieben Abendessen.
Prefer Abendessen or zu Abend essen.
Incorrect: der Abendessen
Correct: das Abendessen
Neuter: das.
Good to know
In many homes Abendessen is lighter than Mittagessen: bread, cheese, cold cuts. Hot evening meals are common too, especially in cities and among younger cooks.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Deciding what to cook tonight
ChatPal
Was soll's zum Abendessen geben?
What should we have for dinner?
You
Pasta. Schnelles Abendessen nach der Arbeit.
Pasta. Quick dinner after work.
ChatPal
Passt. Ich kaufe noch Parmesan fürs Abendessen.
Works. I'll buy Parmesan for dinner too.
You
Danke!
Thanks!
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Dinner" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Dinner" in German
How do you say to have dinner?
Zu Abend essen.
What is Abendbrot?
A lighter evening meal, often bread-based.
What gender is Abendessen?
Neuter: das Abendessen.
Is dinner always hot?
No. Many German dinners are cold Abendbrot.
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- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
