German Word of the Day
essen
ES-sen • verb — 3rd of Jun, 2026
Listen to pronunciation
Meaning: to eat; to consume food
Examples
- Ich esse jetzt.
(I'm eating now.) - Wollen wir heute Abend essen gehen?
(Do we want to go out to eat tonight?) - Hast du schon gegessen?
(Have you already eaten?)
Synonyms
Click a synonym to see how it compares to essen.
Conjugation
| Person | Präsens | Präteritum |
|---|---|---|
| ich | esse | aß |
| du | isst | aßest |
| er/sie/es | isst | aß |
| wir | essen | aßen |
| ihr | esst | aßt |
| sie/Sie | essen | aßen |
Essen is the standard verb for people consuming food. Note the irregular forms (ich esse, du isst, er isst; past participle: gegessen). 'Fressen' is used for animals or as a rude way to say someone eats a lot. 'Speisen' is more formal; 'zu sich nehmen' is a polite phrase for having something to eat.
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