German Food Vocabulary: 150+ Words With Articles | Deutschwunder Blog

Learning German food vocabulary is one of the most practical and rewarding things you can do as a beginner. Whether you are shopping at a German supermarket, ordering at a restaurant in Berlin, or simply following a German recipe, knowing the right words (with the correct articles!) makes all the difference.

This guide gives you over 150 German food words organized by category. Every noun includes its article --- der, die, or das --- so you can start building correct habits from day one. If you are still working on article rules, check out our guide to der, die, das for a full breakdown.

Obst (Fruits)

Fruits are a great place to start because many German fruit names sound similar to English.

German	English
der Apfel	apple
die Birne	pear
die Banane	banana
die Orange	orange
die Zitrone	lemon
die Erdbeere	strawberry
die Himbeere	raspberry
die Blaubeere	blueberry
die Kirsche	cherry
die Traube	grape
die Pflaume	plum
die Wassermelone	watermelon
der Pfirsich	peach
die Ananas	pineapple
die Mango	mango
die Kiwi	kiwi
die Feige	fig
die Kokosnuss	coconut

Tip: Most fruit names in German are feminine (die). The notable exceptions are der Apfel and der Pfirsich.

Want to lock these into memory? Try our Memory Match game --- it pairs German words with their meanings so you learn through repetition.

Gemüse (Vegetables)

German	English
die Kartoffel	potato
die Tomate	tomato
die Gurke	cucumber
die Zwiebel	onion
der Knoblauch	garlic
die Karotte	carrot
der Salat	salad / lettuce
der Spinat	spinach
die Paprika	bell pepper
der Pilz	mushroom
die Bohne	bean
die Erbse	pea
der Brokkoli	broccoli
der Blumenkohl	cauliflower
der Kohl	cabbage
die Zucchini	zucchini
die Aubergine	eggplant
der Mais	corn
der Spargel	asparagus
die Rote Beete	beetroot

Fun fact: Germans are passionate about der Spargel (asparagus). Every spring, Spargelzeit (asparagus season) is a national event with special menus across the country.

Fleisch und Fisch (Meat and Fish)

German	English
das Fleisch	meat
das Rindfleisch	beef
das Schweinefleisch	pork
das Hähnchen	chicken
das Lammfleisch	lamb
die Wurst	sausage
die Bratwurst	fried sausage
der Schinken	ham
der Speck	bacon
das Hackfleisch	ground meat
der Fisch	fish
der Lachs	salmon
der Thunfisch	tuna
die Forelle	trout
die Garnele	shrimp
der Hering	herring
der Kabeljau	cod
das Steak	steak

Notice: Most meat compounds use das because the base word das Fleisch is neuter. Sausages, however, are feminine --- die Wurst.

Milchprodukte (Dairy)

German	English
die Milch	milk
der Käse	cheese
die Butter	butter
der Joghurt	yogurt
die Sahne	cream
das Ei	egg
die Eier	eggs
der Quark	quark (soft cheese)
die Margarine	margarine
die Sauerrahm	sour cream

Brot und Backwaren (Bread and Baked Goods)

Germany is world-famous for its bread. There are over 3,000 registered types of bread in the country.

German	English
das Brot	bread
das Brötchen	bread roll
der Toast	toast
das Vollkornbrot	whole grain bread
der Kuchen	cake
die Torte	tart / gateau
der Keks	cookie / biscuit
das Croissant	croissant
die Brezel	pretzel
das Gebäck	pastry
der Strudel	strudel
die Semmel	bread roll (southern)
das Roggenbrot	rye bread
der Pfannkuchen	pancake

Regional note: A bread roll is called das Brötchen in the north, die Semmel in Bavaria and Austria, and der Weck in parts of western Germany.

Test how quickly you can type these words in our Type Rush game --- it is a fast-paced way to build muscle memory for German spelling.

Getränke (Drinks)

German	English
das Wasser	water
der Kaffee	coffee
der Tee	tea
das Bier	beer
der Wein	wine
der Saft	juice
die Milch	milk
die Limonade	lemonade / soda
der Apfelsaft	apple juice
der Orangensaft	orange juice
das Mineralwasser	mineral water
die Cola	cola
der Kakao	hot chocolate
der Schnaps	schnapps
die Apfelschorle	apple spritzer

Cultural note: Ordering ein Wasser in Germany usually gets you sparkling water. If you want still water, ask for stilles Wasser.

Mahlzeiten: Frühstück, Mittagessen und Abendessen

Germans traditionally eat three meals a day, each with its own character.

Das Frühstück (Breakfast)

German	English
das Frühstück	breakfast
das Müsli	muesli / cereal
die Marmelade	jam
der Honig	honey
das Rührei	scrambled eggs
das Spiegelei	fried egg
der Aufschnitt	cold cuts
die Cornflakes	cornflakes

A typical German breakfast includes bread rolls, cold cuts, cheese, jam, and a boiled egg.

Das Mittagessen (Lunch)

German	English
das Mittagessen	lunch
die Suppe	soup
der Eintopf	stew
das Schnitzel	schnitzel
die Kartoffelpüree	mashed potatoes
die Pommes (frites)	french fries
der Knödel	dumpling
die Soße	sauce / gravy

Lunch is traditionally the main meal in Germany, often hot and substantial.

Das Abendessen (Dinner)

German	English
das Abendessen	dinner
das Abendbrot	evening bread
der Aufschnitt	cold cuts
der Brotaufstrich	spread
die Beilage	side dish
der Nachtisch	dessert
die Vorspeise	appetizer
das Hauptgericht	main course

Cultural note: Many German families eat Abendbrot --- a cold dinner of bread, cheese, and cold cuts. It is simpler than lunch and perfectly normal.

What Are Common German Food Words?

The most common German food words you will encounter daily are:

das Brot (bread) --- the staple of German cuisine
die Wurst (sausage) --- Germany has over 1,500 varieties
der Käse (cheese) --- always on the breakfast table
die Kartoffel (potato) --- served in dozens of ways
das Bier (beer) --- governed by the Reinheitsgebot purity law since 1516

These five words alone will get you through most basic food situations. For a broader foundation, see our full German A1 vocabulary list which covers food alongside other essential beginner topics.

How Do You Order Food in German?

Ordering food in German follows a polite pattern. Here are the key phrases:

German	English
Ich hätte gerne...	I would like...
Ich nehme...	I will have...
Die Speisekarte, bitte.	The menu, please.
Was empfehlen Sie?	What do you recommend?
Die Rechnung, bitte.	The check, please.
Zahlen, bitte.	Pay, please.
Ich bin allergisch gegen...	I am allergic to...
Ohne... bitte.	Without... please.
Noch ein Bier, bitte.	Another beer, please.
Das war sehr lecker.	That was very delicious.
Haben Sie etwas Vegetarisches?	Do you have something vegetarian?
Ein Tisch für zwei, bitte.	A table for two, please.

Pro tip: Starting with "Ich hätte gerne" is the polite standard. It is the subjunctive form and sounds much better than a direct "Ich will" (I want). For more essential phrases for traveling in Germany, check our German travel phrases guide.

What Is Traditional German Food Called?

Traditional German cuisine is known as die deutsche Küche (German kitchen/cuisine). Some iconic dishes include:

German	English
das Schnitzel	breaded cutlet
die Bratwurst	grilled sausage
der Sauerbraten	marinated pot roast
das Sauerkraut	fermented cabbage
die Kartoffelsuppe	potato soup
der Kartoffelsalat	potato salad
die Spätzle	egg noodles (southern)
der Schweinebraten	roast pork
die Maultaschen	Swabian filled pasta
die Rouladen	beef rolls
der Kaiserschmarrn	shredded pancake
die Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte	Black Forest cake

Each German region has its own specialties. Bavaria is known for die Weißwurst (white sausage) and die Brezel, while northern Germany favors der Labskaus (corned beef hash) and fish dishes.

Practice Your German Food Vocabulary

Reading a word list is a good start, but active practice is what makes vocabulary stick. Here are three ways to drill these food words right now:

Memory Match --- Flip cards to pair German food words with their English translations. Great for visual learners.
Word Search --- Find hidden German food words in a grid of letters. Builds pattern recognition.
Type Rush --- Type German words as they fall down the screen. Builds speed and spelling accuracy.

You can also test your vocabulary knowledge with our Wortschatz quizzes to see how many food words you have truly memorized.

Keep Building Your Vocabulary

Food vocabulary is one piece of the puzzle. Once you are comfortable with these 150+ words, expand into other everyday categories. Our 500 most common German words guide covers the highest-frequency vocabulary across all topics, and the German A1 vocabulary list gives you a structured path through beginner-level German.

The fastest way to learn? Play your way to fluency. Try our free German word games and turn passive vocabulary into active knowledge.

Deutschwunder helps you learn German through interactive games, quizzes, and structured guides. All content is free and designed for self-study learners at every level.