01
frühstücken
to have breakfast
To eat the first meal of the day, breakfast.
example
Ich frühstücke meistens nur einen Kaffee und ein Brötchen.
I usually just have coffee and a roll for breakfast.
frühstücken
to have breakfast
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Meanings
Usage tips
Word family
The verb 'frühstücken' (to have breakfast) is derived directly from the noun 'das Frühstück' (breakfast). This noun consists of 'früh' (early) and 'das Stück' (piece) — literally an 'early piece' of food in the morning.
EXAMPLE
Am Sonntag nehmen wir uns immer Zeit, um ausgiebig zu frühstücken.
On Sundays, we always take time to have a leisurely breakfast.
Sentence structure
'Frühstücken' (to have breakfast) can be used both without and with an accusative object. Without an object, it describes the action in general; with an object, it states what you eat.
EXAMPLE
Wir frühstücken heute auf dem Balkon.
We're having breakfast on the balcony today.
Perfect tense with 'haben'
The perfect tense of 'frühstücken' (to have breakfast) is always formed with the auxiliary verb 'haben' (to have). The past participle is 'gefrühstückt'.
EXAMPLE
Hast du heute Morgen schon gefrühstückt?
Have you already had breakfast this morning?
Typical collocations
The verb is often combined with adverbs that describe the type of breakfast. Common examples are 'ausgiebig frühstücken' (to have a big/leisurely breakfast), 'spät frühstücken' (to have breakfast late), or 'gemeinsam frühstücken' (to have breakfast together).
EXAMPLE
Im Urlaub wollen wir jeden Tag spät frühstücken.
On vacation, we want to have breakfast late every day.
Compare with
frühstücken vs essen
to eat
'essen' and 'frühstücken' both describe taking in food. 'essen' is the general word and fits any meal or even a small snack. 'frühstücken' is more specific: it means the first meal of the day, breakfast. Learners may confuse the words because having breakfast is also a kind of eating. If the time of day or meal is not important, use 'essen'. If you specifically mean the morning meal, 'frühstücken' is more natural and more precise.
frühstücken
Im Zug hat Lisa mit einem Freund gefrühstückt.
On the train, Lisa had breakfast with a friend.
essen
Auf der Feier essen die Gäste später gemeinsam.
At the party, the guests will eat together later.
In real life
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