German · Food & Drink

"Egg" in German: Ei

das Ei

Say it: eyeneuter · das Einoun/aɪ/

Egg in German is das Ei, neuter. Order ein Ei or ein Spiegelei. Careful: plural die Eier needs the full word Ei in singular examples.

Café order

Ich hätte gern ein Ei und Toast.
I'd like an egg and toast.
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How to pronounce Ei

Say it

eye

/aɪ/

eye. Like English eye. Short and clear. Neuter article das before it.

"Egg" in German: quick reference

GermanEnglish
das Eithe egg

Neuter noun.

Spiegeleifried egg

Sunny-side up style.

Rühreiscrambled eggs

Breakfast classic.

Frühstückseisoft-boiled breakfast egg

With egg cup.

How to use Ei in real life

  1. 1Café order

    Ich hätte gern ein Ei und Toast.

    I'd like an egg and toast.

    Ein Ei neuter.

  2. 2Cooking

    Ist das Ei schon hart gekocht?

    Is the egg already hard-boiled?

    Das Ei.

  3. 3Recipe

    Für den Teig brauchst du nur ein Ei.

    For the batter you only need one egg.

    Ein Ei in instructions.

Mistakes English speakers make with Ei

Incorrect: Der Ei ist roh.

Correct: Das Ei ist roh.

Ei is neuter: das Ei.

Incorrect: Ein Eier bitte. (meaning one)

Correct: Ein Ei bitte. / Zwei Eier bitte.

Singular is Ei; Eier is plural.

Good to know

A soft Frühstücksei in a cup with salt is a classic hotel breakfast. On packaging, Bodenhaltung and Freiland refer to how hens are kept—shoppers read those labels closely.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Making a quick weekend breakfast

  1. ChatPal

    Spiegelei oder Rührei?

    Fried egg or scrambled?

  2. You

    Spiegelei. Ein Ei reicht mir.

    Fried. One egg is enough for me.

  3. ChatPal

    Dann brate ich noch ein Ei für mich.

    Then I'll fry one more egg for myself.

  4. You

    Salz steht neben dem Ei-Becher.

    Salt is next to the egg cup.

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"Egg" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Egg" in German

What gender is Ei?

Neuter: das Ei.

How do you say eggs (plural)?

Die Eier.

How do you order fried eggs?

Ein Spiegelei / zwei Spiegeleier bitte.

What is Eierschale?

Eggshell.

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