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How to Say ‘To eat’ in German

Zu essen

tsoo ESS-en

[tsoo ESS-en]

💬 Usage Tip: "zu" + verb makes the basic idea: "to eat." You'll hear it in bar questions like "Möchten Sie etwas zu essen?" = "Would you like something to eat?"

🇩🇪 In Germany: In Germany, many bars also offer small snacks, not just drinks—think cheese, pretzels, or Flammkuchen.

Phrase Breakdown

Zu

[tsoo]

to

Used here with an infinitive to mean 'for' or 'to' in the sense of something to eat.

Example

Haben Sie auch etwas Zu?

Do you also have something to eat?

essen

[ESS-en]

eat

The infinitive verb 'essen' means 'to eat.' In restaurant language, 'zu essen' means 'something to eat.'

Example

Wir möchten gern etwas essen.

We would like to eat something.

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