essen
to eat · food, meal
Essen means 'to eat'. It is the standard verb for consuming food, used in all contexts from casual to formal. Germans use it for people eating, and it can also appear as a noun meaning 'food' or 'meal'.
What essen means
- to eat — the general act of consuming food
- food, meal — as a noun (das Essen)
Heard in real German videos
Lines where essen was actually spoken, from German videos watched with DeutschChat.
- Wer möchte Rührei essen?Who wants to eat scrambled eggs?
- Du hast deinen gegessen. Das ist meiner.You ate yours. That's mine.
Example sentences
- Ich esse gern Pizza.I like to eat pizza.
- Was möchtest du heute Abend essen?What would you like to eat this evening?
- Er hat den ganzen Kuchen gegessen.He ate the whole cake.
- Das Essen ist fertig!The food is ready!
Grammar
| Present (ich/du/er) | esse / isst / isst |
|---|---|
| Simple past | aß |
| Perfect | hat gegessen |
| Separable | no |
| Case it takes | accusative (direct object) |
The verb is irregular: the stem vowel changes from e to i in the du and er/sie/es forms (du isst, er isst). The past tense is aß and the past participle is gegessen.
Common phrases
- zu Mittag essento eat lunch
- zu Abend essento eat dinner
- etwas zu essensomething to eat
- essen gehento go out to eat
The mistake English speakers make
English speakers often confuse 'essen' with 'fressen'. 'Essen' is used for people, while 'fressen' is used for animals or when someone eats in a messy, greedy way. Use 'essen' for people eating normally.
Don’t confuse it with
- fressen — Fressen is used for animals eating, or for people eating in a greedy, messy way; essen is the neutral verb for people eating.
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between 'essen' and 'fressen'?
Essen is used for people eating, while fressen is used for animals or for people eating in a greedy, messy way.
How do you conjugate 'essen' in the present tense?
ich esse, du isst, er/sie/es isst, wir essen, ihr esst, sie/Sie essen.
What is the noun form of 'essen'?
The noun is 'das Essen', meaning 'food' or 'meal'. It is a neuter noun.