food / groceries
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food / groceries
All things that people eat or drink in order to nourish themselves. The term includes both solid food and drinks.
Am Samstag gehe ich immer Lebensmittel für die ganze Woche einkaufen.
On Saturday I always go grocery shopping for the whole week.
The word 'Lebensmittel' (food/groceries) is made up of 'Leben' (life) and 'Mittel' (means). So it literally means 'means of life' and describes everything we eat and drink to survive.
Eine ausgewogene Ernährung besteht aus verschiedenen Lebensmitteln.
A balanced diet consists of various foods.
Although the word has a singular form, in everyday language it is almost always used in the plural, 'die Lebensmittel' (food/groceries). People talk about groceries in general or buy several of them. The singular 'das Lebensmittel' (food item) is rare and sounds more abstract or scientific.
Für das Rezept fehlen uns noch einige Lebensmittel.
We are still missing a few groceries for the recipe.
Common verbs with this noun are 'Lebensmittel einkaufen' (to buy groceries), 'spenden' (to donate), or 'herstellen' (to produce). Typical adjectives are 'frische' (fresh), 'haltbare' (non-perishable), or 'biologische' (organic) Lebensmittel.
Viele Menschen spenden haltbare Lebensmittel an Bedürftige.
Many people donate non-perishable food to those in need.
food / meal / eating
Essen is the everyday, general term for what people eat. Lebensmittel refers to individual edible or drinkable products, especially when they are bought, stored, or considered as goods. Use Essen for food in general; Lebensmittel is more precise for individual products.
Im Supermarkt vergleichen wir die Preise der einzelnen Lebensmittel.
At the supermarket, we are comparing the prices of the individual food products.
Im Supermarkt kaufen wir genug Essen für das Wochenende.
We are buying enough food at the supermarket for the weekend.
