Verb Overview
The verb essen means "to eat" in German. It is commonly used in everyday language when talking about consuming food. Essen is an irregular verb, which means it does not follow the regular conjugation patterns of German verbs and has unique changes in its stem.
Verb Usage
Essen is used when describing the act of eating, meals, or food consumption in general. It can be employed in various tenses and moods, and it often appears in phrases about meals, hunger, or invitations to eat.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, essen changes its stem vowel from "e" to "i" in the du- and er/sie/es- forms. This is typical of strong verbs with stem vowel changes.
| German Pronoun | German Conjugation | English Conjugation | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | esse | I eat | Ich esse einen Apfel. | I eat an apple. |
| du | isst | you eat | Du isst gern Pizza. | You eat pizza gladly. |
| er/sie/es | isst | he/she/it eats | Er isst heute Abend mit uns. | He is eating with us tonight. |
| wir | essen | we eat | Wir essen zusammen. | We are eating together. |
| ihr | esst | you all eat | Ihr esst zu spät. | You all eat too late. |
| sie/Sie | essen | they/you formal eat | Sie essen im Restaurant. | They eat at the restaurant. |
Past Tense Conjugation (Perfect)
The past tense perfect of essen uses the auxiliary verb haben and the past participle gegessen.
| German Pronoun | Auxiliary Verb | Past Participle | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | habe | gegessen | Ich habe gestern Pizza gegessen. | I ate pizza yesterday. |
| du | hast | gegessen | Du hast viel Brot gegessen. | You ate a lot of bread. |
| er/sie/es | hat | gegessen | Er hat alles gegessen. | He ate everything. |
| wir | haben | gegessen | Wir haben im Park gegessen. | We ate in the park. |
| ihr | habt | gegessen | Ihr habt zu viel gegessen. | You all ate too much. |
| sie/Sie | haben | gegessen | Sie haben im Restaurant gegessen. | They ate at the restaurant. |
Common Expressions with Essen
Some useful phrases with essen include:
- etwas zu essen – something to eat
- zu Abend essen – to eat dinner
- frühstücken und essen – to have breakfast and eat
- gesund essen – to eat healthily
- zusammen essen – to eat together
These expressions are essential for everyday conversations about meals and diet.
Summary
Essen is an irregular but commonly used German verb meaning to eat. Its stem vowel changes in the present tense for the du- and er/sie/es- forms, and its past participle is gegessen. Mastery of this verb helps in discussing food, meals, and dining experiences in German.
