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How to Say ‘Please don't eat anything after midnight.’ in German

Ab Mitternacht bitte nichts essen.

ap MIT-er-nakht BIT-tuh nichts ESS-en

[ap MIT-er-nakht BIT-tuh nichts ESS-en]

🇩🇪 In Germany: Fasting rules before surgery are taken very seriously. If you did eat or drink something, tell the staff, because the operation may need to be postponed.

Phrase Breakdown

Ab Mitternacht

ap MIT-er-nakht

From midnight on

'Ab' means 'from ... onward'. 'Mitternacht' is stressed on 'Mit', and its 'ch' is a throaty sound.

Example

Ab Mitternacht ist es ruhig.

From midnight on it is quiet.

Words in this phrase

[ap]

from, starting at

Preposition marking the starting point of a time.

Example

Ab Montag arbeite ich nachts.

From Monday I work nights.

Mitternacht

[MIT-er-nakht]

midnight

Twelve o'clock at night.

Example

Die Party dauert bis Mitternacht.

The party lasts until midnight.

bitte nichts essen.

BIT-tuh nichts ESS-en

please don't eat anything.

A polite instruction using the infinitive. 'Nichts' has a soft 'ch' followed by 'ts'.

Example

Bitte nichts sagen.

Please don't say anything.

Words in this phrase

bitte

[BIT-tuh]

please

Polite word used in requests and offers.

Example

Kommen Sie bitte zum Schalter.

Please come to the counter.

nichts

[nichts]

nothing

No thing; not anything.

Example

Ich habe nichts gesehen.

I saw nothing.

essen

[ESS-en]

to eat

Essen as a verb means to eat.

Example

Viele Gäste möchten abends noch etwas essen.

Many guests still want to eat something in the evening.

Guides for German learners

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