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German vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "to eat" in German?
essen
In German, "to eat" is essen.
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Pronunciation
ES-sen. Short 'e', double 's' sounds like a single 's'.
Grammar notes
Strong verb, past tense aß (or ass), past participle gegessen. Takes the accusative object. Irregular stem vowel.
Example sentence
Das Kind isst einen Apfel.
The child eats an apple.
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How to remember essen
Essen sounds like 'essence' of food. The verb changes dramatically in past tense: aß, gegessen.
Related words
- end beenden
- line up sich aufstellen
- make anrufen
- pull ziehen
- put away wegräumen
- show zeigen
- sleep schlafen
- smell riechen
- take from nehmen
Browse all German words in the glossary.
Questions about essen
How do you say "to eat" in German?
In German, "to eat" is essen. It is a noun.
How is essen written in German?
essen is written using the standard German script.
How is essen used in a sentence?
Use essen as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: Das Kind isst einen Apfel. (The child eats an apple.).
Where can I practice German words for free?
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"To eat" in other languages
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