German food vocabulary

If you're planning a trip to Germany or are learning the language, one of the first things you'll want to know is how to order food. German has many different words for food that can be tricky to learn for beginners. However, with a little practice, you'll be able to order all your favorite German dishes with ease.

In this article, we'll cover the most common German food vocabulary, so that you can start using it right away. Read on, and make sure whether you’re eating out in a German restaurant, going shopping in Berlin, or cooking something based on German recipes, you know exactly what to say.

German Food Basics

Before ordering complex menu items in restaurants or cooking time-consuming meals, it’s important to get familiar with the basics. Let’s take a look at the list of the most common food words you will come across in the German language.

Here they are:

Things Found in the Pantry

Native

Translation

das Salz

salt

der Zucker

sugar

die Marmelade

jam

der Reis

rice

das Brot

bread

das Nudeln

noodles

das Mehl

flour

der Tee

tea

der Kaffee

coffee

der Pfeffer

pepper

der Essig

vinegar

das Öl

oil

der Senf

mustard

der Honig

honey

Common Foods

Native

Translation

das Obst

fruits

das Gemüse

vegetables

das Fleisch

meat

das Fisch

fish

der Käse

cheese

das Ei

egg

And a little bit more detail:

Native

Translation

die Pommes (frites)

fries

die Pizza

pizza

die Wurst

sausage

das Eis

ice cream

der Kuchen

cake

der Knödel

dumplings

German food vocabulary

Meals in German

Native

Translation

das Frühstück

breakfast

das Mittagessen

lunch

das Abendessen

dinner

der Imbiss

snack

die Vorspeise

appetizer

das Hauptgericht

main course

der Salat

salad

die Suppe

soup

die Soße

sauce

das Dessert

dessert

German Dishes

Native

Translation

das Besteck

silverware

der Becher

mug

das Glas

glass

die Tasse

cup

die Gabel

fork

der Löffel

spoon

der Messer

knife

der Teller

plate

German Cooking Verbs

Native

Translation

essen

to eat

trinken

to drink

kochen

to cook

backen

to bake

Hunger haben

to be hungry

Durst haben

to be thirsty

den Tisch decken

to set the table

satt sein

to be full

bestellen

to order

zum hier Essen

to eat here

zum Mitnehmen

to take away

Are you ready for more details now? Let’s learn more about different German foods – for your convenience, we’ve divided them into categories.

Vegetables in German

Native

Translation

die Ackerbohne

broad bean

die Artischocke

artichoke

die Aubergine; die eierfrucht

eggplant

die Avocado

avocado

der Blumenkohl

cauliflower

der Broccoli

broccoli

die grüne Bohne

green bean

die Erbse

pea

der Gartenkürbis; die Zucchini

zucchini; courgette

der Gartensalat

lettuce

der Garten-Rettich

radish

die Gurke

cucumber

die Ingwerwurzel

ginger root

die Karotte

carrot

die Kartoffel

potato

der Knoblauch

garlic

der Kürbis

pumpkin

der Lauch

leek

der Mais

corn

der Mangold

chard

der Paprika

bell pepper

die Rote Bete

beetroot

der Rotkohl

red cabbage

die Rübe

turnip

der Spargel

asparagus

der echte Sellerie

celery

der echte Spinat; der Gemüsespinat; der Gartenspinat

spinach

die Süßkartoffel

sweet potato

die Tomate

tomato

die Zwiebel

onion

Fruits in German

Native

Translation

die Ananas

pineapple

der Apfel

apple

die Aprikose

apricot

die Banane

banana

die Beere

berry

die Birne

pear

die Brombeere

blackberry

die Blaubeere; die Heidelbeere

blueberry

die Dattel

date

die Erdbeere

strawberry

die Feige

fig

die Grapefruit

grapefruit

die Himbeere

raspberry

die Johannisbeere

currant

die Kirsche

cherry

die Kiwi

kiwi

die Kokosnuss

coconut

die Limone

lime

die Mandarine

mandarin

die Melone

melon

die Orange

orange

der Pfirsich

peach

die Pflaume

plum

die Ulme

elm

die Traube

grapes

die Wassermelone

watermelon

die Zitrone

lemon

Meats in German

Native

Translation

das Fleisch

meat

das Rindfleisch

beef

das Schweinefleisch

pork

das Kalbfleisch

veal

das Geflügel

poultry

das Hähnchen

chicken

das Lamm

lamb

der Speck

bacon

das Kotelett

cutlets; chops

das Schnitzel

Austrian-style fried slice of meat

German food vocabulary

Dairy in German

Native

Translation

die Butter

butter

der Frischkäse

cream cheese

die Hüttenkäse

cottage cheese

der Joghurt

yoghurt

die Milch

milk

die Sahne

cream

der Sauerrahm

sour cream

Deserts in German

Native

Translation

die Schokolade

chocolate

das Bonbon

candy

die Nuss

nut

der Keks

cookie

die Praline

chocolate with filling

die Torte

tart

der Süßstoff

sweetener

Drinks in German

Native

Translation

die Milch

milk

das Wasser

water

der Saft

juice

der Wein

wine

das Kaltes Getränk

cold Drink

das Bier

beer

der Sirup

syrup

das Destilliertes Getränk

distilled Beverage

Ordering Food in German

To order food in a German restaurant, you have two types of phrases you can use: either “Ich hätte gerne…” which lightly translates to “I would like” or a number of the dishes combined with the word “mal” (times) plus “bitte” (please) - just like in French, for example.

Ordering food:

Native

Translation

Ich hätte gerne…

I would like to have…

Einmal Schnitzel bitte.

One schnitzel please.

Einmal Flammkuchen und dreimal Pommes bitte.

One flammkuchen and three portions of french fries please.

Reaction to the meal:

Native

Translation

Lecker!

It’s tasty!

Sehr gut.

Very good.

Ich finde es scharf.

It’s spicy.

Ich finde es ein bisschen fade.

It’s a bit bland.

Es ist köstlich.

It’s delicious.

Es ist kalt.

It’s cold.

Es ist heiß.

It’s hot.

Sehr, sehr saftig.

Very, very juicy.

To order more:

Native

Translation

Noch ein Bier bitte.

Another beer, please.

Kann ich bitte noch ein Bier haben?

Can I have another beer, please?

Noch zwei bitte!

Another two, please!

Paying:

Native

Translation

Die Rechnung bitte.

The bill, please.

Wir möchten zahlen.

We’d like to pay.

Können wir bitte zahlen?

Can we pay, please?

German Food Culture

German food vocabulary

German food culture is based on politeness and clarity. When eating out or eating together with someone, remember about being well-mannered and straightforward. Here are a few key tips to keep in mind.

For starters, it’s customary to say “Danke”(thank you) after someone has served you food. It’s also polite to say “Guten Appetit!” (enjoy your meal!) before beginning to eat.

When it comes to eating the food, you should use your fork and knife to cut food into small pieces before putting it in your mouth. Remember to keep your mouth shut while you chew, and don’t speak with your mouth full. Keep your elbows off the table and don’t start eating until everyone is served.

In general, Germans are not very keen on small talk and would rather avoid it if they can. So, when you sit down to have a meal with Germans, don’t be surprised if they immediately start eating without engaging in a lot of chit-chat first.

And last but not least, Germans are known for their love of beer. In fact, Germany has one of the highest per capita consumption of beer in the world! So, if you find yourself at a German table, it’s quite likely that someone will offer you a pint. And if you’re looking to fit in, make sure to clink glasses before taking a sip. Prost!

Eat Up!

German food vocabulary

Learning German food words can be a fun way to get started with learning the German language. Not only do you learn how to order your favorite dishes at a German restaurant, but you also learn about some of the polite customs that are important in German culture.

But even if you’re an advanced German learner, don’t skip this part. Remember: learning general vocabulary is an essential part of becoming fluent in any language. The more words you know, the easier it will be to understand and communicate with others in German.

So, whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been studying German for a while, make sure to add these food words and other essential vocabulary words to your list. And if you want to learn more German vocabulary and grammar, check other posts on our blog or download the Langster app – and have fun learning German.