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German food words: 25 words for restaurants, cafés and ordering

🇩🇪 GermanA1–A225 words

Ordering food is the German you will use most often. This list covers menus, ordering, typical dishes and drinks, and paying — including the question every waiter asks, "Zusammen oder getrennt?", and how tipping works in Germany.

Where you will use it: Restaurants, cafés, bakeries and beer gardens in Germany.

German words for food and restaurants — The word list

Meanings and translations are in English.

GermanMeaning and example
die Speisekartethe menu“Könnten wir bitte die Speisekarte haben?”Could we have the menu, please?
bestellento order“Ich möchte gern bestellen.”I'd like to order, please.
der Kellnerthe waiter“Der Kellner bringt gleich die Getränke.”The waiter will bring the drinks in a moment.
das Getränkthe drink“Was möchten Sie als Getränk?”What would you like to drink?
das Frühstückthe breakfast“Frühstück gibt es bis elf Uhr.”Breakfast is served until eleven.
das Mittagessenthe lunch“Zum Mittagessen gibt es heute Suppe.”There's soup for lunch today.
das Abendessenthe dinner; evening meal“Das Abendessen ist um sieben fertig.”Dinner is ready at seven.
die Vorspeisethe starter“Als Vorspeise nehme ich den Salat.”I'll have the salad as a starter.
das Hauptgerichtthe main course“Das Hauptgericht war sehr lecker.”The main course was very tasty.
der Nachtischthe dessert“Zum Nachtisch gibt es Apfelstrudel.”There's apple strudel for dessert.
leckertasty; delicious“Der Kuchen ist richtig lecker!”The cake is really delicious!
das Fleischthe meat“Ich esse kein Fleisch.”I don't eat meat.
vegetarischvegetarian“Haben Sie auch etwas Vegetarisches?”Do you have anything vegetarian?
die Kartoffelthe potato“Dazu gibt es Kartoffeln und Salat.”It comes with potatoes and salad.
die Wurstthe sausage“Auf dem Markt essen wir eine Wurst.”We're having a sausage at the market.
der Kuchenthe cake“Am Nachmittag gibt es Kaffee und Kuchen.”In the afternoon there's coffee and cake.
das Bierthe beer“Ein kleines Bier, bitte.”A small beer, please.
der Weinthe wine“Ein Glas Rotwein, bitte.”A glass of red wine, please.
das Leitungswasserthe tap water“Kann ich ein Glas Leitungswasser bekommen?”Can I have a glass of tap water?
Prost!cheers!“Prost, auf deinen Geburtstag!”Cheers, to your birthday!
Guten Appetit!enjoy your meal!“Das Essen ist da – guten Appetit!”The food is here – enjoy your meal!
Zahlen, bitte!can we pay, please?“Entschuldigung, zahlen, bitte!”Excuse me, can we pay, please?
Zusammen oder getrennt?together or separately? (when paying)“„Zusammen oder getrennt?“ – „Getrennt, bitte.“”"Together or separately?" – "Separately, please."
das Trinkgeldthe tip“In Deutschland gibt man etwa zehn Prozent Trinkgeld.”In Germany people tip about ten per cent.
der Biergartenthe beer garden“Im Sommer sitzen wir gern im Biergarten.”In summer we like sitting in the beer garden.

Tips for learning German words

  • Learn der, die or das with every nounThe article is part of the word: der Zug, die Fahrkarte, das Gleis. It decides the case endings and adjectives, so learn it from day one.
  • Type the umlauts and ßWrite ä, ö, ü and ß, not a, o, u or ss: schon means "already" but schön means "beautiful". Getting them right in WordNest trains your spelling.
  • Watch the verb positionIn a German main clause the verb comes second, and separable verbs split: "Ich rufe dich morgen an." Read each example aloud to feel the word order.

Standard German as used in Germany

German is spoken in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and a few everyday words differ between them: a tomato is a Tomate in Germany and a Paradeiser in Austria, a bicycle is a Fahrrad rather than a Velo. These lists follow Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany, and WordNest's examples, audio and AI corrections use the same standard. You will be understood in every German-speaking country.

Add five or six of these words a day rather than the whole list at once, keep the example sentence on the card, and review them when they come due. WordNest schedules each word across seven growing intervals — same day, then 1, 3, 7, 14, 30 and 60 days — so the list is still with you months later. Read how spaced repetition works if you want the reasoning behind those numbers.

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Questions about this list

Is this German from Germany, Austria or Switzerland?

Standard German (Hochdeutsch) as used in Germany. Where Austria or Switzerland usually use a different word, the list gives the one used in Germany, but every word is understood across the German-speaking world.

How do I practise German words for food and restaurants?

Start with five words, listen and say each example aloud. Then recall the German word, with its article, from its English meaning and review it over several days.

How many words are in this list?

This list contains 25 words and phrases with English meanings and example sentences. It is a starting set, not a complete course.

Study these words with spaced repetition

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