A1 · 43 words
Food and drink in German
What is on the table, what you order, and the two verbs that change their vowel when you use them.
This is the list where ordering something becomes possible, and the sentence for doing it is worth memorising whole: Ich hätte gern einen Kaffee. It is a subjunctive and it is the polite form everybody uses — ich will sounds like a demand and ich möchte is the other acceptable choice. Two very common verbs here change their vowel in the du and er forms: essen gives du isst, er isst, and nehmen gives du nimmst, er nimmt. That change happens in exactly those two persons and nowhere else, which is a pattern rather than an accident.
The words
Verb (6)
essento eatVerbA1
Strong verb: du isst, er isst; gegessen in the perfect.
trinkento drinkVerbA1
Strong verb: trinken – trank – getrunken.
bestellento orderVerbA1
Inseparable prefix: no ge- in the participle.
nehmento take, to have (food)VerbA1
Strong verb with a heavy change: du nimmst, er nimmt, genommen.
kostento costVerbA1
schmeckento taste (good)VerbA1
Takes a dative for the person: "Es schmeckt mir."
Noun (33)
das Essenfood, mealNounA1
Plural: die Essen, rarely used. An infinitive turned into a noun, which is why it is neuter.
das FrühstückbreakfastNounA1
Plural: die Frühstücke. The verb is "frühstücken".
das MittagessenlunchNounA1
A compound: Mittag plus Essen, so neuter from the last part.
das Abendessendinner, evening mealNounA1
das BrotbreadNounA1
Plural: die Brote, meaning loaves or kinds of bread.
das Brötchenbread rollNounA1
Neuter, because of -chen. Called Semmel in Bavaria and Schrippe in Berlin.
die ButterbutterNounA1
No plural. Feminine, which surprises people who expect a foodstuff to be neuter.
der KäsecheeseNounA1
Plural: die Käse, for kinds of cheese.
das EieggNounA1
Plural: die Eier.
das FleischmeatNounA1
No plural.
der FischfishNounA1
Plural: die Fische.
das GemüsevegetablesNounA1
Singular in German where English is plural. The Ge- prefix makes a collective, and those are neuter.
das ObstfruitNounA1
A collective with no plural. One individual piece is "eine Frucht".
der ApfelappleNounA1
Plural: die Äpfel.
die KartoffelpotatoNounA1
Plural: die Kartoffeln.
die SuppesoupNounA1
Plural: die Suppen.
der Salatsalad, lettuceNounA1
Plural: die Salate.
der ZuckersugarNounA1
No plural.
das SalzsaltNounA1
No plural in normal use.
das WasserwaterNounA1
Ordering "ein Wasser" gets you a bottle of sparkling water unless you say otherwise.
der KaffeecoffeeNounA1
Plural: die Kaffees, meaning cups of coffee.
der TeeteaNounA1
Plural: die Tees.
die MilchmilkNounA1
No plural.
der SaftjuiceNounA1
Plural: die Säfte.
das BierbeerNounA1
After a number it stays singular: "zwei Bier", not "zwei Biere".
der WeinwineNounA1
Plural: die Weine.
das RestaurantrestaurantNounA1
Plural: die Restaurants. Pronounced in the French way.
die SpeisekartemenuNounA1
Plural: die Speisekarten. "das Menü" is a set meal, not the list.
die RechnungbillNounA1
Plural: die Rechnungen. Feminine, because of -ung.
der DurstthirstNounA1
German has thirst rather than being thirsty. No plural.
die SchokoladechocolateNounA1
Plural: die Schokoladen.
das Getränkdrink, beverageNounA1
Plural: die Getränke.
die Lebensmittelfood, groceriesNounA2
Plural only. Mostly plural; the singular das Lebensmittel is a single foodstuff.
Adjective (4)
hungrighungryAdjectiveA1
More often said as "Hunger haben": ich habe Hunger.
leckertasty, deliciousAdjectiveA1
süßsweetAdjectiveA1
Also means "cute" of a person or animal.
kaltcoldAdjectiveA1
Comparative: kälter. "Mir ist kalt" is how you say you are cold.
This list belongs to Food and drink — 22 lists and 862 words that can also be practised as a whole.
Practise this list
From these 43 words, as many per round as you like — up to all of them: first what is due today, then new ones. First you choose, then you fill the gap, then you write it yourself. Mistakes come back again shortly.