German taste vocabulary covers how to describe flavors, express preferences, and talk about food and drink. This includes adjectives, verbs, and common phrases.
This guide explores essential German vocabulary for describing taste, helping you talk about flavors, express preferences, and understand food-related conversations with confidence.
Describing Flavors
When describing flavors in German, you use adjectives that match the noun’s gender and number. Common taste adjectives include sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy.
| German Adjective | English Adjective | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| süß | sweet | Der Kuchen ist süß. | The cake is sweet. |
| sauer | sour | Die Zitrone ist sauer. | The lemon is sour. |
| salzig | salty | Die Suppe ist salzig. | The soup is salty. |
| bitter | bitter | Der Kaffee ist bitter. | The coffee is bitter. |
| scharf | spicy/hot | Das Essen ist scharf. | The food is spicy. |
| mild | mild | Der Käse ist mild. | The cheese is mild. |
| lecker | delicious | Das Essen ist lecker. | The food is delicious. |
| fad | bland | Die Soße ist fad. | The sauce is bland. |
| frisch | fresh | Das Obst ist frisch. | The fruit is fresh. |
| würzig | flavorful | Das Gericht ist würzig. | The dish is flavorful. |
Expressing Preferences
To express taste preferences, use phrases with mögen (to like), lieben (to love), or nicht mögen (not like). You can also use gern (gladly) for “like to...”
| German Phrase | English Phrase | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ich mag ... | I like ... | Ich mag süße Schokolade. | I like sweet chocolate. |
| Ich liebe ... | I love ... | Ich liebe scharfe Currygerichte. | I love spicy curry dishes. |
| Ich mag ... nicht | I don’t like ... | Ich mag keinen bitteren Kaffee. | I don’t like bitter coffee. |
| Ich esse gern ... | I like to eat ... | Ich esse gern frisches Obst. | I like to eat fresh fruit. |
| Ich trinke gern ... | I like to drink ... | Ich trinke gern süßen Tee. | I like to drink sweet tea. |
| Am liebsten ... | I like ... best | Am liebsten esse ich Schokolade. | I like chocolate best. |
| ... schmeckt mir | ... tastes good to me | Schokolade schmeckt mir. | Chocolate tastes good to me. |
| ... schmeckt nicht | ... doesn’t taste good | Der Wein schmeckt nicht. | The wine doesn’t taste good. |
| Ich bevorzuge ... | I prefer ... | Ich bevorzuge salzige Snacks. | I prefer salty snacks. |
| Ich würde ... probieren | I would try ... | Ich würde scharfes Essen probieren. | I would try spicy food. |
What does 'Am liebsten ...' mean in English?
I like ... best
'Am liebsten ...' is used to express your favorite or what you like best.
Talking About Food and Drink
Use these common verbs and phrases to describe how food and drink taste, as well as how you experience flavor.
| German Verb/Phrase | English Verb/Phrase | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| schmecken | to taste | Das Eis schmeckt süß. | The ice cream tastes sweet. |
| riechen | to smell | Der Kuchen riecht lecker. | The cake smells delicious. |
| probieren | to try | Möchtest du die Suppe probieren? | Would you like to try the soup? |
| genießen | to enjoy | Ich genieße den Kaffee morgens. | I enjoy the coffee in the morning. |
| beißen | to bite | Beiß nicht zu fest! | Don’t bite too hard! |
| kauen | to chew | Du musst gut kauen. | You have to chew well. |
| würzen | to season | Ich würze das Essen mit Salz. | I season the food with salt. |
| zubereiten | to prepare | Ich bereite ein scharfes Gericht zu. | I’m preparing a spicy dish. |
| servieren | to serve | Der Kellner serviert das Essen. | The waiter serves the food. |
| bestellen | to order | Ich bestelle einen süßen Nachtisch. | I’m ordering a sweet dessert. |
Common Taste-Related Nouns
Here are some essential German nouns related to taste, including food items and flavor concepts.
| German Noun (Sing./Pl.) | English Noun (Sing./Pl.) | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| der Geschmack / die Geschmäcker | taste / tastes | Der Geschmack ist süß. | The taste is sweet. |
| die Zutat / die Zutaten | ingredient(s) | Welche Zutaten sind drin? | Which ingredients are inside? |
| das Gewürz / die Gewürze | spice(s) | Ich mag scharfe Gewürze. | I like spicy spices. |
| die Süße | sweetness | Die Süße ist genau richtig. | The sweetness is just right. |
| die Bitterkeit | bitterness | Die Bitterkeit stört mich nicht. | The bitterness doesn’t bother me. |
| das Aroma / die Aromen | aroma(s) | Das Aroma ist fruchtig. | The aroma is fruity. |
| das Dessert / die Desserts | dessert(s) | Zum Nachtisch gibt es Eis. | For dessert, there’s ice cream. |
| die Mahlzeit / die Mahlzeiten | meal(s) | Die Mahlzeit war lecker. | The meal was delicious. |
| der Snack / die Snacks | snack(s) | Ich esse gern salzige Snacks. | I like to eat salty snacks. |
| das Getränk / die Getränke | drink(s) | Ich nehme ein kaltes Getränk. | I’ll have a cold drink. |
Taste in Context
Using taste vocabulary in context helps you have natural conversations about food. Here are some example dialogues and phrases.
| German Phrase | English Phrase | German Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wie schmeckt ...? | How does ... taste? | Wie schmeckt der Wein? | How does the wine taste? |
| Das schmeckt ... | That tastes ... | Das schmeckt süß und frisch. | That tastes sweet and fresh. |
| Ist das ...? | Is that ...? | Ist das Essen schon fertig? | Is the food ready yet? |
| Hast du ... probiert? | Have you tried ...? | Hast du die Suppe probiert? | Have you tried the soup? |
| Ich finde, ... | I think ... | Ich finde das zu salzig. | I think that’s too salty. |
| Kannst du ... beschreiben? | Can you describe ...? | Kannst du den Geschmack beschreiben? | Can you describe the taste? |
| Was ist dein Lieblings...? | What is your favorite...? | Was ist dein Lieblingsessen? | What is your favorite food? |
| Möchtest du ...? | Would you like ...? | Möchtest du noch Zucker? | Would you like more sugar? |
| Das ist typisch ... | That is typical ... | Das ist typisch italienisch. | That is typically Italian. |
| Ich habe Hunger/Durst | I’m hungry/thirsty | Ich habe Hunger. Lass uns essen! | I’m hungry. Let’s eat! |
This completes the German taste vocabulary guide. You now have the essential words and phrases to describe flavors, express preferences, and talk about food and drink naturally. Bon appétit — or as the Germans say, Guten Appetit!
How do you ask 'How does the wine taste?' in German?
Wie schmeckt der Wein?
'Wie schmeckt der Wein?' means 'How does the wine taste?' using the verb 'schmecken' (to taste).
Flashcards (1 of 50)
- English Adjective: sweet
- English Example: The cake is sweet.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
