Essen is one of the most common irregular verbs in German. It means “to eat” and is used in everyday conversation. The verb is irregular in the present tense (du isst, er isst), simple past (aß), and past participle (gegessen). We’ll show you how to conjugate it in various tenses, including some examples.
Essen Conjugation Tables
Present Tense (Präsens)
| Pronoun | German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | esse | essen | I eat | we eat |
| du | isst | esst | you eat | you all eat |
| er/sie/es | isst | essen | he/she/it eats | they eat |
We eat together.
Wir essen zusammen.
Wir is the plural form, so the verb essen remains in its base form -en in the present tense.
Simple Past (Präteritum)
| Pronoun | German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | aß | aßen | I ate | we ate |
| du | aßest | aßt | you ate | you all ate |
| er/sie/es | aß | aßen | he/she/it ate | they ate |
Present Perfect (Perfekt)
| Pronoun | German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | habe ... gegessen | haben ... gegessen | I have eaten | we have eaten |
| du | hast ... gegessen | habt ... gegessen | you have eaten | you all have eaten |
| er/sie/es | hat ... gegessen | haben ... gegessen | he/she/it has eaten | they have eaten |
Have you already eaten?
Hast du schon gegessen?
Hast du ... gegessen? is the correct present perfect question form for ‘have you eaten?’
Future Tense (Futur I)
| Pronoun | German Singular | German Plural | English Singular | English Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ich | werde essen | werden essen | I will eat | we will eat |
| du | wirst essen | werdet essen | you will eat | you all will eat |
| er/sie/es | wird essen | werden essen | he/she/it will eat | they will eat |
Essen: Usage Notes
- Irregular stem vowels: du and er/sie/es forms use “i” (isst) instead of “e” (esse).
- Subject–verb agreement: Always match the verb ending (-e, -st, -t, -en) with the subject pronoun.
- Past participle: always “gegessen,” regardless of the subject.
- Auxiliary verb: use “haben” for perfect tenses (nicht “sein”).
- Context: Essen can be used for meals (Ich esse Frühstück) or snacks (Er isst einen Apfel).
Essen: Example Sentences
Present Tense (Präsens)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich esse gern Brot. | I like to eat bread. |
| Du isst einen Apfel. | You are eating an apple. |
| Wir essen zusammen. | We eat together. |
We eat together.
Wir essen zusammen.
Wir is the plural form, so the verb essen remains in its base form -en in the present tense.
Simple Past (Präteritum)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich aß Pizza. | I ate pizza. |
| Sie aßen Salat. | They ate salad. |
| Du aßest zu viel. | You ate too much. |
Present Perfect (Perfekt)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich habe gegessen. | I have eaten. |
| Wir haben viel gegessen. | We ate a lot. |
| Hast du schon gegessen? | Have you eaten yet? |
Have you already eaten?
Hast du schon gegessen?
Hast du ... gegessen? is the correct present perfect question form for ‘have you eaten?’
Future Tense (Futur I)
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich werde essen. | I will eat. |
| Wir werden bald essen. | We will eat soon. |
| Wirst du mitessen? | Will you eat along? |
More Examples — Using Essen in Questions
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Was isst du heute? | What are you eating today? |
| Isst du vegetarisch? | Do you eat vegetarian? |
| Wem gibst du das Essen? | To whom are you giving the food? |
| Was hast du gegessen? | What did you eat? |
| Wann wirst du essen? | When will you eat? |
| Warum isst er nicht? | Why isn’t he eating? |
More Examples — Using Essen in Subordinate Clauses
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Ich weiß, dass du isst. | I know that you are eating. |
| Sie glaubt, er hat gegessen. | She believes he has eaten. |
| Wir hoffen, dass ihr bald esst. | We hope you all eat soon. |
More Examples — Idiomatic Expressions with Essen
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Das isst sich gut. | That goes down well. |
| Das Essen ist fertig. | The food is ready. |
| Guten Appetit! | Enjoy your meal! |
Summary
Essen is an irregular German verb meaning “to eat.” Its stem vowel changes in the du and er/sie/es forms in the present tense (isst), while the past forms use aß and the past participle is gegessen. It’s used with the auxiliary haben in perfect tenses and appears in simple statements, questions, and even idiomatic expressions.
Flashcards (1 of 36)
- Pronoun: ich
- English Singular: I eat
- English Plural: we eat
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
