Cooking verbs in German, including essential actions like essen, trinken, schneiden, and more to help you describe cooking and food preparation.
Cooking verbs are essential for describing the process of preparing, cooking, and enjoying food. In German, these verbs will help you understand recipes, follow cooking instructions, and talk about kitchen activities with confidence.
These are the most common verbs used in everyday cooking and food preparation.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| essen | to eat | Ich esse einen Apfel. | I eat an apple. |
| trinken | to drink | Er trinkt Wasser. | He drinks water. |
| schneiden | to cut | Sie schneidet das Gemüse. | She cuts the vegetables. |
| kochen | to cook/boil | Wir kochen Kartoffeln. | We cook potatoes. |
| backen | to bake | Meine Mutter backt einen Kuchen. | My mother bakes a cake. |
| braten | to fry/roast | Ich brate das Fleisch. | I fry the meat. |
| rühren | to stir | Rühre den Teig gut durch! | Stir the dough well! |
| mischen | to mix | Mische die Zutaten. | Mix the ingredients. |
| schälen | to peel | Ich schäle die Karotten. | I peel the carrots. |
| würzen | to season | Würze die Suppe mit Salz. | Season the soup with salt. |
Ella ___ las verduras.
Which German verb means 'to cut'?
schneiden
The German verb 'schneiden' means 'to cut'. The others mean 'to stir', 'to mix', and 'to fry'.
Él ___ agua.
Which German verb means 'to drink'?
trinken
The German verb 'trinken' means 'to drink', while 'essen' means 'to eat', 'backen' means 'to bake', and 'würzen' means 'to season'.
These verbs are used to prepare ingredients before cooking.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| waschen | to wash | Wasch das Gemüse! | Wash the vegetables! |
| schneiden | to cut | Schneide die Zwiebel klein. | Cut the onion small. |
| schälen | to peel | Schäle die Äpfel. | Peel the apples. |
| raspeln | to grate | Raspel den Käse. | Grate the cheese. |
| hacken | to chop | Hacke die Petersilie. | Chop the parsley. |
| abtropfen lassen | to drain | Lass die Nudeln abtropfen. | Drain the noodles. |
| ausrollen | to roll out | Rolle den Teig aus. | Roll out the dough. |
| entkernen | to core | Entkerne die Äpfel. | Core the apples. |
| einweichen | to soak | Weiche die Bohnen ein. | Soak the beans. |
| vorbereiten | to prepare | Bereite alle Zutaten vor. | Prepare all the ingredients. |
These verbs describe different ways of cooking food.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| kochen | to boil/cook | Die Eier kochen 10 Minuten. | Boil the eggs for 10 minutes. |
| backen | to bake | Wir backen Brot. | We bake bread. |
| braten | to fry/roast | Brate die Zwiebeln goldbraun. | Fry the onions until golden brown. |
| dämpfen | to steam | Gemüse kann man dämpfen. | You can steam vegetables. |
| grillen | to grill | Wir grillen heute Abend. | We're grilling tonight. |
| schmoren | to braise | Das Fleisch wird geschmort. | The meat is being braised. |
| frittieren | to fry (deep-fry) | Pommes werden frittiert. | Fries are deep-fried. |
| sautieren | to sauté | Sautiere die Pilze. | Sauté the mushrooms. |
| überbacken | to au gratin | Die Kartoffeln werden überbacken. | The potatoes are baked with a topping. |
| rösten | to roast | Röste die Nüsse. | Roast the nuts. |
These verbs are used to complete a dish and make it ready to serve.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| abschmecken | to taste/adjust seasoning | Die Sauce abschmecken. | Taste and adjust the sauce. |
| garnieren | to garnish | Garniere den Salat mit Kräutern. | Garnish the salad with herbs. |
| servieren | to serve | Serviere die Suppe heiß. | Serve the soup hot. |
| bestreuen | to sprinkle | Bestreue den Kuchen mit Zucker. | Sprinkle sugar on the cake. |
| füllen | to fill | Fülle die Paprika mit Reis. | Fill the peppers with rice. |
| träufeln | to drizzle | Träufle Olivenöl über den Salat. | Drizzle olive oil over the salad. |
| anrichten | to plate/present | Richte die Vorspeise schön an. | Plate the appetizer nicely. |
| dekorieren | to decorate | Dekoriere den Kuchen mit Früchten. | Decorate the cake with fruit. |
| ruhen lassen | to let rest | Lass den Teig ruhen. | Let the dough rest. |
| kühlen | to chill | Kühle den Kuchen vor dem Servieren. | Chill the cake before serving. |
These verbs describe actions related to eating and enjoying food.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| essen | to eat | Ich esse gerne Schokolade. | I like eating chocolate. |
| trinken | to drink | Trinke ein Glas Wasser. | Drink a glass of water. |
| probieren | to taste | Probier mal den Salat! | Taste the salad! |
| genießen | to enjoy | Ich genieße mein Essen. | I enjoy my meal. |
| kauen | to chew | Kauen Sie gründlich. | Chew thoroughly. |
| schlucken | to swallow | Schluck das Essen langsam. | Swallow the food slowly. |
| nachwürzen | to add more seasoning | Nachwürzen nach Belieben. | Add more seasoning as desired. |
| bestellen | to order | Ich bestelle eine Pizza. | I’m ordering a pizza. |
| teilen | to share | Teilen wir die Pizza? | Shall we share the pizza? |
| ablehnen | to refuse | Ich lehne das Dessert ab. | I’m refusing the dessert. |
These verbs relate to using common kitchen tools during cooking.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| benutzen | to use | Benutze das Messer vorsichtig. | Use the knife carefully. |
| schlagen | to beat/whisk | Schlag das Eiweiß steif. | Whisk the egg whites until stiff. |
| mixen | to mix/blend | Mixe einen Smoothie. | Blend a smoothie. |
| pürieren | to puree | Püriere die Suppe. | Puree the soup. |
| abmessen | to measure | Messe 200 Gramm Mehl ab. | Measure 200 grams of flour. |
| öffnen | to open | Öffne die Dose. | Open the can. |
| schließen | to close | Schließe den Kühlschrank. | Close the refrigerator. |
| auspressen | to squeeze | Presse eine Zitrone aus. | Squeeze a lemon. |
| umrühren | to stir | Rühre die Soße um. | Stir the sauce. |
| abkühlen lassen | to let cool | Lass den Kuchen abkühlen. | Let the cake cool. |
These verbs often appear in cooking instructions and recipes.
| German Verb | English Verb | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hinzufügen | to add | Füge Zucker hinzu. | Add sugar. |
| vermengen | to combine | Vermenge die Zutaten gut. | Combine the ingredients well. |
| einrühren | to stir in | Rühre die Eier ein. | Stir in the eggs. |
| aufgießen | to pour (liquid) | Gieße heiße Brühe auf. | Pour hot broth over. |
| einschalten | to turn on | Schalte den Ofen ein. | Turn on the oven. |
| ausschalten | to turn off | Schalte den Herd aus. | Turn off the stove. |
| abdecken | to cover | Decke die Schüssel ab. | Cover the bowl. |
| ziehen lassen | to let steep | Lass den Tee ziehen. | Let the tea steep. |
| umrühren | to stir | Rühre die Mischung um. | Stir the mixture. |
| wiederholen | to repeat | Wiederhole den Vorgang. | Repeat the process. |
___ azúcar.
Which German verb means 'to add'?
hinzufügen
The German verb 'hinzufügen' means 'to add'. 'vermengen' means 'to combine', 'einrühren' means 'to stir in', and 'abdecken' means 'to cover'.
These cooking verbs cover every step from preparation to enjoying a meal. Learning them will help you navigate German recipes and kitchen conversations with ease.
Flashcards (1 of 70)
- English Verb: to eat
- English Example: I eat an apple.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
