15+ Helpful Examples to Master Talking about German Food

Learning how to talk about German food is one of the most fun and useful aspects of language learning. Whether you’re ordering at a restaurant, grabbing drinks with friends, or simply discussing your favorite dishes, knowing how to use the verbs essen (to eat) and trinken (to drink) is essential. While we’ve already covered vowel changes in a previous post, this one focuses on how to practically use these two important verbs in everyday conversation.

In this post, we’ll dive into the essen conjugation, the trinken conjugation, and provide you with example sentences, a casual dialogue, and a short paragraph. We’ll also cover common German food and drink vocabulary, so you’ll be ready to chat about your favorite meals in no time! 🍔🥤

Here are the lessons for vowel change a to ä and e to ie! (Good to know for the following content). Also check out the basic -en endings in German!

Essen Conjugation in German

Let’s start with essen, one of the most commonly used verbs when talking about German foods. Essen is an irregular verb that follows a slightly different pattern in the second and third person singular forms.

Present Tense Conjugation of “Essen”:

Pronoun	Conjugation
Ich	esse
Du	isst
Er/Sie/Es	isst
Wir	essen
Ihr	esst
Sie/sie	essen

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Trinken Conjugation in German

Next, we have trinken (to drink). Luckily for us, trinken is a regular verb, so its conjugation is pretty straightforward. 🎉

Present Tense Conjugation of “Trinken”:

Pronoun	Conjugation
Ich	trinke
Du	trinkst
Er/Sie/Es	trinkt
Wir	trinken
Ihr	trinkt
Sie/sie	trinken

Talking About German Food and Drinks 🍕🥤

In Germany, food plays an important role in social gatherings, whether you’re at home with family or out with friends. When eating, Germans often enjoy a variety of dishes such as Schnitzel, Bratwurst, or traditional Sauerkraut. When it comes to drinks, Bier (beer) and Wasser (water) are popular choices. It’s common to ask, “Was isst du gerne?” (What do you like to eat?) or “Was trinkst du dazu?” (What are you drinking with it?). Learning how to use essen and trinkeneffectively in sentences will help you sound more natural and confident when talking about German Food.

15 Example Sentences with Essen and Trinken | German Food and Drinks

To help you master the essen conjugation and trinken conjugation, here are 15 example sentences for each verb, both in the present tense.

Essen Example Sentences:

1. Ich esse gerne italienisches Essen. (I like eating Italian food.)
2. Isst du immer so viel Gemüse? (Do you always eat so many vegetables?)
3. Er isst jeden Tag Obst. (He eats fruit every day.)
4. Wir essen oft zusammen zu Abend. (We often eat dinner together.)
5. Ihr esst heute Nudeln. (You all are eating pasta today.)
6. Sie essen kein Fleisch. (They don’t eat meat.)
7. Was isst du zum Frühstück? (What do you eat for breakfast?)
8. Meine Kinder essen gerne Eis. (My kids love eating ice cream.)
9. Ich esse selten Fast Food. (I rarely eat fast food.)
10. Wir essen immer um 19 Uhr. (We always eat at 7 PM.)
11. Er isst oft Pizza. (He often eats pizza.)
12. Was isst du normalerweise zum Mittagessen? (What do you usually eat for lunch?)
13. Ich esse jeden Morgen Müsli. (I eat cereal every morning.)
14. Isst du Fisch? (Do you eat fish?)
15. Wir essen heute bei meinen Eltern. (We are eating at my parents’ place today.)

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Trinken Example Sentences:

1. Ich trinke viel Wasser. (I drink a lot of water.)
2. Trinkst du Kaffee oder Tee? (Do you drink coffee or tea?)
3. Er trinkt gerne Bier. (He likes drinking beer.)
4. Wir trinken heute Wein. (We are drinking wine today.)
5. Trinkt ihr auch Saft? (Are you all drinking juice, too?)
6. Sie trinken keinen Alkohol. (They don’t drink alcohol.)
7. Was trinkst du zum Abendessen? (What are you drinking with dinner?)
8. Ich trinke jeden Morgen einen Smoothie. (I drink a smoothie every morning.)
9. Trinkst du genug Wasser? (Do you drink enough water?)
10. Ich trinke immer Tee mit Zitrone. (I always drink tea with lemon.)
11. Er trinkt abends oft Bier. (He often drinks beer in the evenings.)
12. Trinken wir heute Wein oder Bier? (Are we drinking wine or beer today?)
13. Sie trinkt keinen Kaffee. (She doesn’t drink coffee.)
14. Was trinkt ihr nach dem Training? (What do you all drink after training?)
15. Ich trinke meistens Wasser. (I mostly drink water.)

Here you can refresh your knowledge about indefinite and definite articles!

Nouns | German Foods:

German Word	English Translation	Article	Plural
die Milch	the milk	die	(no plural)
der Zucker	the sugar	der	(no plural)
das Salz	the salt	das	(no plural)
das Brot	the bread	das	die Brote
die Butter	the butter	die	(no plural)
die Kartoffel	the potato	die	die Kartoffeln
der Apfel	the apple	der	die Äpfel
die Banane	the banana	die	die Bananen
die Tomate	the tomato	die	die Tomaten
das Ei	the egg	das	die Eier
das Wasser	the water	das	(no plural)
die Zwiebel	the onion	die	die Zwiebeln
der Käse	the cheese	der	(no plural)
der Joghurt	the yogurt	der	die Joghurts
die Gurke	the cucumber	die	die Gurken
der Fisch	the fish	der	die Fische
das Fleisch	the meat	das	(no plural)
die Orange	the orange	die	die Orangen
der Reis	the rice	der	(no plural)
der Schinken	the ham	der	die Schinken

Verbs | German Foods

German Word	English Translation
essen	to eat
trinken	to drink
bestellen	to order
probieren	to try (food)
kochen	to cook
servieren	to serve

Adjectives | German Foods

German Word	English Translation
salzig	salty
süß	sweet
bitter	bitter
sauer	sour
scharf	spicy
fettig	greasy
mild	mild
würzig	savory/spicy
trocken	dry
klebrig	sticky
knusprig	crispy
zäh	tough
frisch	fresh
weich	soft
matschig	mushy
gesund	healthy
ungesund	unhealthy
teuer	expensive
billig	cheap

Here’s an easy German recipe for traditional potato soup, written with beginners in mind. I’ll add plenty of vocabulary and a chart at the end for new words. Everything is in the present tense, with an English translation included! (This is a add-on, you are free to learn it or to skip it – nevertheless, it will be helpful if you intend to follow a German receipt or ask for cooking advice in Germany / Austria / Other German speaking country)

Kartoffelsuppe Rezept (Potato Soup Recipe)

Zutaten (Ingredients):

• 500g Kartoffeln (potatoes)
• 2 Möhren (carrots)
• 1 Zwiebel (onion)
• 1 Lauch (leek)
• 2 Stangen Sellerie (celery stalks)
• 1 Liter Gemüsebrühe (vegetable broth)
• 2 Esslöffel Butter (butter)
• 100g Speck (bacon) – optional
• Salz (salt)
• Pfeffer (pepper)
• Muskatnuss (nutmeg)
• 1 Lorbeerblatt (bay leaf)
• 200ml Sahne (cream)
• Petersilie (parsley) – for garnish

Check out German Numbers, How to Count in German and German Quantifiers!

Anleitung (Instructions):

Kartoffeln und Gemüse vorbereiten (Prepare the potatoes and vegetables):

• Schäle die Kartoffeln und schneide sie in kleine Würfel. (Peel the potatoes and cut them into small cubes.)
• Schäle die Möhren und schneide sie in Scheiben. (Peel the carrots and slice them.)
• Schneide die Zwiebel in kleine Stücke. (Chop the onion into small pieces.)
• Wasche den Lauch und schneide ihn in dünne Ringe. (Wash the leek and cut it into thin rings.)
• Schneide den Sellerie in kleine Stücke. (Chop the celery into small pieces.)

Gemüse und Kartoffeln hinzufügen (Add vegetables and potatoes):

• Gib die Kartoffeln, Möhren, Lauch und Sellerie in den Topf.(Add the potatoes, carrots, leek, and celery to the pot.)

Mit Brühe aufgießen (Pour in the broth):

• Gieße die Gemüsebrühe in den Topf, sodass das Gemüse bedeckt ist. (Pour in the vegetable broth so that the vegetables are covered.)
• Füge das Lorbeerblatt hinzu. (Add the bay leaf.)

Kochen und Würzen (Cook and season):

• Lasse die Suppe etwa 20 Minuten köcheln, bis die Kartoffeln weich sind. (Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes until the potatoes are soft.)
• Würze die Suppe mit Salz, Pfeffer und etwas Muskatnuss. (Season the soup with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg.)

Sahne hinzugeben (Add cream):

• Rühre die Sahne in die Suppe, um sie cremig zu machen. (Stir the cream into the soup to make it creamy.)

Pürieren (Puree):

• Optional kannst du die Suppe mit einem Stabmixer pürieren, um eine glatte Konsistenz zu erhalten. (Optionally, you can puree the soup with an immersion blender for a smooth consistency.)

Servieren und garnieren (Serve and garnish):

• Entferne das Lorbeerblatt und garniere die Suppe mit frischer Petersilie. (Remove the bay leaf and garnish the soup with fresh parsley.)

Already studied Masculine / Feminine and Singular to Plural from the previous lessons?

Vokabeln | Dialog

German Word	English Translation	Article	Plural
die Kartoffel	potato	die	die Kartoffeln
die Möhre	carrot	die	die Möhren
die Zwiebel	onion	die	die Zwiebeln
der Lauch	leek	der	die Lauche
der Sellerie	celery	der	die Selleries
die Brühe	broth	die	die Brühen
die Butter	butter	die	(no plural)
der Speck	bacon	der	die Specke
der Topf	pot	der	die Töpfe
der Esslöffel	tablespoon	der	die Esslöffel
das Lorbeerblatt	bay leaf	das	die Lorbeerblätter
die Sahne	cream	die	(no plural)
die Petersilie	parsley	die	die Petersilien
die Muskatnuss	nutmeg	die	die Muskatnüsse
das Salz	salt	das	(no plural)
der Pfeffer	pepper	der	(no plural)

Frequently Asked Questions About Essen and Trinken in German

1. What is the difference between “essen” and “trinken” in German?
   Essen means “to eat,” while trinken means “to drink.” These are two of the most basic verbs you’ll use when talking about German food and drinks.
2. How do I conjugate “essen” in German?
   Check the table at the beginning of this post for the essen conjugation.
3. How do I conjugate “trinken” in German?
   See the table above for the trinken conjugation.
4. What are some common German food and drink words?
   Some common words include Pizza, Wasser, Wein, and Kaffee.
5. Is “essen” a regular or irregular verb?
   Essen is an irregular verb. Its stem changes in the second and third person singular forms.

What is your next conversation about? Hobbies? Languages and Countries? Asking for ones age? Don’t worry, we got you covered!

Conclusion

Mastering the essen conjugation and trinken conjugation will take you a long way when discussing German food and drinks. Whether you’re ordering your favorite dishes or simply chatting with friends, these verbs are key to sounding natural in German. Practice with the examples provided, and soon you’ll feel confident using them in any food-related conversation. 🍕🥤

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