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Study in the app →German · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 20
Das Essen The food
Foods and drinks: Brot, Fleisch, Fisch, Obst, Gemüse, Wasser, Bier, Milch. For "to be hungry/thirsty" German uses "haben" + noun (NOT "sein"): Ich habe Hunger (I have hunger), Ich habe Durst — like with age: Ich bin zwanzig Jahre alt, but Ich habe Hunger. The mistake is "Ich bin Hunger" — it doesn't exist. "lecker" = delicious: Das Brot ist lecker. New vocabulary: Essen, Brot, Fleisch, Fisch, Obst, Gemüse, Wasser, Bier, Milch, lecker. Culture section: bread, rolls and Abendbrot.
Dialogue
Ich bin Hunger oder Ich habe Hunger? — Ich bin Hunger or Ich habe Hunger?
- Lukas Mike, möchtest du essen? Mike, do you want to eat?
- Mike Ja, ich bin Hunger. Yes, I'm hungry. (slip: hunger uses haben, not sein — say "Ich habe Hunger")
- Lukas Mit Hunger nimmt man „haben“: Ich habe Hunger. With hunger we use "haben": Ich habe Hunger.
- Mike Ah, ich habe Hunger und Durst. Ich esse Brot und trinke Wasser. Ah, I'm hungry and thirsty. I eat bread and drink water.
Dialogue
Sehr lecker! — Very Tasty!
- Lena Lukas, was isst du? Lukas, what are you eating?
- Lukas Ich esse Fisch mit Gemüse. Es ist lecker. I'm eating fish with vegetables. It's tasty.
- Lena Und was trinkst du? And what are you drinking?
- Lukas Ich trinke einen Kaffee. Möchtest du Obst? I'm drinking a coffee. Do you want fruit?
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essen | n.n. | food, meal (n) | |
| Brot | n.n. | bread (n) | |
| Fleisch | n.n. | meat (n) | |
| Fisch | n.m. | fish (m) | |
| Obst | n.n. | fruit (n) | |
| Gemüse | n.n. | vegetables (n) | |
| Wasser | n.n. | water (n) | |
| Bier | n.n. | beer (n) | |
| Milch | n.f. | milk (f) | |
| lecker | adj. | tasty, delicious |
Grammar
„Ich habe Hunger“: haben + Nomen "Ich habe Hunger": haben + noun
Für „I'm hungry / thirsty“ nutzt das Deutsche NICHT „sein“, sondern „haben“ + Nomen: Ich habe Hunger, Ich habe Durst. Es ist dasselbe Muster wie beim Alter — dort auch „haben“? Nein: beim Alter sagt man „Ich bin … Jahre alt“, aber bei Hunger/Durst „Ich habe Hunger“. Wichtig: NICHT „Ich bin Hunger“ — das existiert nicht. Das Adjektiv „lecker“ (köstlich) beschreibt das Essen: Das Brot ist lecker, der Fisch ist lecker. Zum Essen und Trinken: Ich esse Brot, ich trinke Wasser (im Deutschen braucht man hier keinen Artikel für die Menge).
For "I'm hungry / thirsty" German does NOT use "sein", but "haben" + noun: Ich habe Hunger, Ich habe Durst. Note: NOT "Ich bin Hunger" — that doesn't exist. (For age it's different: "Ich bin … Jahre alt", but for hunger/thirst "Ich habe Hunger".) The adjective "lecker" (delicious) describes the food: Das Brot ist lecker, der Fisch ist lecker. For eating and drinking: Ich esse Brot, ich trinke Wasser (in German you need no article here for the quantity).
- Ich habe Hunger. Ich esse Brot und Fleisch. I'm hungry. I eat bread and meat.
- Ich habe Durst. Ich trinke Wasser. I'm thirsty. I drink water.
- Der Fisch ist lecker und das Obst ist lecker. The fish is tasty and the fruit is tasty.
- Was möchtest du trinken? — Einen Kaffee mit Milch. What would you like to drink? — A coffee with milk.
Culture
Brot, Brötchen und Abendbrot Bread, rolls and Abendbrot
In Germany, bread is almost sacred. There are hundreds of kinds, in the morning you fetch fresh rolls, and in the evening there is often "Abendbrot" — a cold meal of bread. Few things say so much about German everyday culture.
The land of bread
Germany has over 300 recognized types of bread — more than any other country. Unlike the soft white bread of many countries, typical German bread is dark, hearty, and made of rye or whole grain. A good, heavy bread with a crust is part of everyday life and even of identity.
Fresh rolls in the morning
"Brötchen" are small breads for breakfast, crispy outside, soft inside. On the weekend the trip to the baker is almost a ritual. Depending on the region they have different names: Brötchen in the north, Semmel in Bavaria, Schrippe in Berlin, Weck in the southwest — one and the same roll with many names.
Abendbrot
Literally "Abendbrot" means "evening bread": in many families dinner is a cold meal — bread with cheese, sausage, cold cuts, maybe tomato or cucumber. The warm meal is usually eaten at midday. Abendbrot is simple, cozy, and shows that bread is not just a side but the heart of the meal.
In short: dark bread with a crust, fresh rolls on the weekend, and a cozy Abendbrot in the evening. In Germany bread is more than food — it's home on a plate. Guten Appetit!
pronunciation
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