01
essen
to eat
To take in solid food. This is the general meaning for human food consumption.
example
Wir sollten etwas essen, bevor wir gehen.
We should eat something before we go.
essen
to eat
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family: das Essen
The noun 'das Essen' is derived directly from the verb 'essen' (to eat) and means both 'the meal' and 'food' in general. Both words are central to the topic of nutrition.
EXAMPLE
Das Essen in der Kantine schmeckt heute besonders gut.
The food in the cafeteria tastes especially good today.
Common mistake
'Essen' (to eat) is a strong verb with a vowel change in the 2nd and 3rd person singular present tense. It is 'du isst' (you eat) and 'er/sie/es isst' (he/she/it eats), not 'du esst' or 'er esst'.
EXAMPLE
Mein Sohn isst am liebsten Nudeln mit Tomatensoße.
My son likes eating pasta with tomato sauce best.
Meals with 'zu'
To talk about the main meals of the day, the fixed expressions 'zu Mittag essen' (to have lunch) and 'zu Abend essen' (to have dinner) are used. The preposition 'zu' is a fixed part of these expressions.
EXAMPLE
Wir essen heute bei meinen Eltern zu Abend.
We are having dinner at my parents' house today.
In a restaurant: 'essen gehen'
The construction 'essen gehen' means to eat in a restaurant. In sentences, 'gehen' (to go) is conjugated, while 'essen' (to eat) remains as an infinitive at the end.
EXAMPLE
Lass uns am Freitag zusammen essen gehen.
Let's go out to eat together on Friday.
Evaluating a restaurant
To describe the quality of the food at a place, the impersonal form 'man kann ... essen' (one can eat ...) is often used. Here, 'essen' does not describe a specific action, but a general possibility.
EXAMPLE
In dieser kleinen Gasse kann man sehr gut und günstig essen.
You can eat very well and cheaply in this little alley.
Compare with
essen vs trinken
to drink
'essen' and 'trinken' both belong to the topic of food and drink and are often learned together. Still, they describe different actions. You use 'essen' for solid food, for example bread, rice, or vegetables. You use 'trinken' for liquids, for example water, tea, or juice. Learners may confuse the words because both mean that you take something in. The simple rule is: you eat solid food, and you drink liquids.
essen
In der Mittagspause esse ich ein Sandwich und einen Apfel.
During my lunch break, I eat a sandwich and an apple.
trinken
Nach dem Training hat meine Nachbarin ein großes Glas Wasser getrunken.
After training, my neighbor drank a large glass of water.
In real life
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