Talking about food in German using 'essen'

To talk about food and drink, use the verbs essen (to eat) and trinken (to drink):

• Ich esse Pizza - I eat pizza.
• Ich trinke Wasser - I drink water.

Look at the tables below. Can you see any food and drinks you like?

Food

Drinks

Giving opinions on food and drink

To say you like something, add the adverb gern after the verb. Add nicht if you don’t like something.

• Ich esse gern Salat - I like eating salad.
• Ich trinke nicht gern Wasser - I don’t like drinking water.

You can add more detail to your opinions by using denn (because) with adjectives.

• Ich esse gern Kuchen, denn es ist lecker! - I like eating cake because it is tasty.
• Ich esse gern Curry, denn es ist scharf! - I like eating curry because it is spicy.

To ask someone about what food and drink they like, you can ask:

• Was isst du gern? - What do you like to eat?
• Was trinkst du gern? - What do you like to drink?
• Was isst du nicht gern? - What don’t you like to eat?
• Was trinkst du nicht gern? - What don’t you like to drink?

Talking about plural foods

When talking about a plural food or drink, change es ist (it is) to sie sind which means they are. Plural means more than one of something.

• Ich esse nicht gern Pommes, denn sie sind salzig - I don’t like eating chips because they aresalty.
• Ich esse gern Kekse, denn sie sind süß - I like eating biscuits because they are sweet.
• Ich esse gern Erdbeeren, denn sie sind köstlich - I like eating strawberries because they are delicious.

Can you write your own opinion sentences using the adjectives below?

Dietary requirements

Some people have special dietary requirements, meaning they can only eat certain foods. If you have any special dietary requirements, you may need the following phrases:

• Ich esse kein Fleisch, denn ich bin Vegetarier - I don’t eat meat because I am vegetarian.
• Ich trinke Sojamilch, denn ich bin Veganer - I drink soya milk because I am vegan.
• Ich esse keine Nüsse, denn ich habe eine Allergie - I don’t eat nuts because I have an allergy.
• Ich bin allergisch gegen Gluten - I am allergic to gluten.
• Ich habe Zöliakie - I have coeliac disease.

To talk about a female vegetarian or vegan, add -in to the end of Vegetarier and Veganer.

• Sie ist Vegetarierin - She is vegeterian.
• Sie ist Veganerin - She is vegan.

Talking about what you eat for different meals

Meals are an important part of talking about eating food. In German, the verb always has to be the second idea in a sentence. When talking or writing about meal times, place the verb straight after the meal phrase, like zum Frühstück (for breakfast) or zum Mittagessen (for lunch).

• Zum Frühstück esse ich Toast und Marmelade - For breakfast I eat toast and jam.
• Zum Mittagessen esse ich Pizza und ich trinke Wasser - For lunch I eat pizza and I drink water.
• Zum Abendessen esse ich gern Hähnchen und Gemüse, denn es ist lecker - For dinner I like eating chicken and vegetables because it is tasty.

Video

Watch the video then test your understanding in the short quiz!

Quiz