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die Küche
kitchen
The room in an apartment or house where food is prepared and cooked.
example
Die neue Wohnung hat eine große, moderne Küche.
The new apartment has a large, modern kitchen.
die Küche
kitchen / cuisine
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word family
The word 'die Küche' (kitchen) belongs to the word family of 'kochen' (to cook) and 'der Koch' (the male cook/chef) or 'die Köchin' (the female cook/chef). All of these words relate to preparing food.
EXAMPLE
Der neue Koch probiert in der Küche ein Rezept aus.
The new chef is trying out a recipe in the kitchen.
Dative and accusative
When you describe a location, you use 'in der Küche' (in the kitchen) with the dative. When you describe movement into the room, you use 'in die Küche' (into the kitchen) with the accusative.
EXAMPLE
Er sitzt in der Küche und trinkt Kaffee.
He is sitting in the kitchen and drinking coffee.
Type of food
When 'Küche' (cuisine) describes a style of cooking, it almost always appears with an adjective that names a region or style. Typical examples are 'italienische Küche' (Italian cuisine), 'asiatische Küche' (Asian cuisine), or 'gutbürgerliche Küche' (traditional home-style cuisine).
EXAMPLE
Im Urlaub haben wir die lokale Küche sehr genossen.
On vacation, we really enjoyed the local cuisine.
Context clue
When 'die Küche' (the kitchen) means the staff, it is often combined with verbs that refer to working hours or actions by people. You can recognize this meaning in sentences like 'Die Küche macht Pause' (The kitchen is taking a break) or 'Die Küche schließt bald' (The kitchen is closing soon).
EXAMPLE
Fragen Sie den Kellner, ob die Küche noch Bestellungen annimmt.
Ask the waiter whether the kitchen is still taking orders.
Compare with
Küche vs Gastronomie
gastronomy / restaurant
'Küche' and 'Gastronomie' both have to do with food and cooking. 'Küche' often means a style of cooking, for example 'die italienische Küche' (Italian cuisine), or also the team that cooks in a restaurant. 'Gastronomie' refers to the area of restaurants, cafés, and bars as a business or industry. Learners may confuse the words because both appear in restaurant contexts. When it is about dishes, cooking style, or the kitchen staff, 'Küche' fits. When it is about businesses, guests, and working in restaurants, 'Gastronomie' fits better.
Küche
Die spanische Küche gefällt mir wegen der vielen kleinen Gerichte.
I like Spanish cuisine because of the many small dishes.
Gastronomie
Nach der Ausbildung möchte Lena in der Gastronomie arbeiten.
After her training, Lena would like to work in the restaurant industry.
In real life
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