food / nourishment
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food / nourishment
Everything that people, animals, and plants take in in order to live and grow; food.
Eine gesunde und ausgewogene Nahrung ist für Kinder besonders wichtig.
Healthy and balanced food is especially important for children.
fuel / nourishment
In a figurative sense, something that promotes, sustains, or strengthens something else.
Die ständigen Falschmeldungen geben den Gerüchten immer neue Nahrung.
The constant false reports keep giving the rumors new fuel.
intellectual nourishment
Something that stimulates and educates the mind, such as books, art, or sophisticated conversations.
Für ihn sind Konzerte und Museumsbesuche die wichtigste geistige Nahrung.
For him, concerts and museum visits are the most important intellectual nourishment.
The word 'Nahrung' (food/nourishment) belongs to the word family of 'nähren' (to nourish; to feed, provide for) and the adjective 'nahrhaft' (nutritious; containing many nutrients). All these words have to do with nutrition.
Diese Suppe ist sehr nahrhaft und gut für den Winter.
This soup is very nutritious and good for winter.
In its main meaning, 'Nahrung' (food/nourishment) is almost always used as an uncountable noun in the singular. People say 'viel Nahrung' (a lot of food) or 'genug Nahrung' (enough food), but the plural 'Nahrungen' is very rare.
Pflanzen nehmen ihre Nahrung über die Wurzeln auf.
Plants take in their nourishment through their roots.
The word 'Nahrung' (food/nourishment) is often used in a factual, biological, or nutritional-science context. It sounds more formal and more general than the everyday word for a meal.
Die Umstellung der Nahrung kann bei Tieren zu Problemen führen.
Changing an animal's food can lead to problems.
You can recognize the figurative meaning by the fact that 'Nahrung' (fuel/nourishment) is combined with abstract nouns such as 'Gerüchte' (rumors), 'Konflikte' (conflicts), or 'Zweifel' (doubts). The structure is often 'etwas gibt [einem Gerücht] neue Nahrung' (something gives [a rumor] new fuel).
Sein Schweigen gab den Spekulationen nur noch mehr Nahrung.
His silence only gave the speculation even more fuel.
food / meal / eating
Essen usually refers to specific, often prepared dishes. Nahrung views food primarily as the necessary nourishment that enables people, animals, or plants to live and grow. Use Essen for a prepared dish; Nahrung is more suitable when the body's nourishment is important.
Nach der langen Wanderung braucht der Körper dringend Nahrung.
After the long hike, the body urgently needs nourishment.
Nach der langen Wanderung freuen wir uns auf warmes Essen.
After the long hike, we are looking forward to a hot meal.
