German · Everyday Verbs
"to eat" in German: essen
essen
To eat in German is essen. It is irregular in the present tense: ich esse, but du isst and er isst. As a noun, das Essen means food or a meal, so Das Essen ist fertig! means "Food's ready!"
Planning the evening
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How to pronounce essen
Say it
ES-sen
/ˈɛsn̩/
Stress the first syllable: ES-sen. The double s is sharp, like in "less", and the -en at the end is soft, often just an "n". In du isst and er isst the vowel becomes a short i, as in "list".
"to eat" in German: quick reference
| German | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| essen | to eat The default verb for people eating anything. | The default verb for people eating anything. |
| essen gehen | to eat out Going to a restaurant: Wir gehen heute essen. | Going to a restaurant: Wir gehen heute essen. |
| zu Mittag essen / zu Abend essen | to have lunch / to have dinner Slightly more formal ways to name the meal. | Slightly more formal ways to name the meal. |
| das Essen | food, meal The noun, always with a capital E. | The noun, always with a capital E. |
| fressen | to eat (animals) For animals. Used about people, it is rude or joking. | For animals. Used about people, it is rude or joking. |
How to use essen in real life
- 1Planning the evening
Wollen wir heute Abend essen gehen?
Shall we eat out tonight?
Wollen wir…? is a friendly way to suggest doing something together.
- 2Cooking for a guest
Willst du Fleisch essen, oder koche ich vegetarisch?
Do you want to eat meat, or should I cook vegetarian?
After willst the infinitive essen stays at the end.
- 3Your evening routine
Abends esse ich meistens etwas Kleines, zum Beispiel Brot mit Käse.
In the evening I usually eat something light, like bread and cheese.
Etwas Kleines means "something small". The adjective turns into a noun and gets a capital letter.
Mistakes English speakers make with essen
Incorrect: Du esst zu schnell.
Correct: Du isst zu schnell.
Essen changes its vowel from e to i for du and er/sie/es: du isst, sie isst.
Incorrect: Ich habe schon gegesst.
Correct: Ich habe schon gegessen.
The past participle is irregular: gegessen. The simple past is aß: Wir aßen um acht.
Good to know
Before a meal, Germans say Guten Appetit! (Enjoy your meal!). In many offices and canteens, people greet each other around lunchtime with a simple Mahlzeit!, which literally means "mealtime". In many families, the evening meal is traditionally Abendbrot: bread, cheese, and cold cuts rather than a hot dish.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Talking about your daily routine with a colleague in Düsseldorf
ChatPal
Was isst du normalerweise zum Frühstück?
What do you usually eat for breakfast?
You
Ich esse meistens Müsli mit Joghurt. Und du?
I usually eat muesli with yogurt. And you?
ChatPal
Ich frühstücke kaum. Aber mittags esse ich richtig viel!
I hardly eat breakfast. But at lunchtime I eat a lot!
You
Dann lass uns heute zusammen in der Kantine essen.
Then let's eat together in the canteen today.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to eat" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to eat" in German
Is essen a regular verb?
No. The present tense goes ich esse, du isst, er isst, wir essen, ihr esst, sie essen. The past participle is gegessen, and the simple past is aß.
What is the difference between essen and fressen?
Essen is for people, and fressen is for animals: Die Katze frisst. If you say it about a person, it means they eat greedily, like "stuffing your face", so only use it as a joke with friends.
How do you say "I'm eating" in German?
German has no separate -ing form, so ich esse means both "I eat" and "I'm eating". To stress that it is happening right now, add gerade: Ich esse gerade.
Do isst and ist sound the same?
Yes, they are pronounced the same way, with a short i. Context tells you which one is meant: Er isst Pizza (He's eating pizza) and Er ist müde (He is tired).
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