evolang.
Browse
About
German · Vocabulary · A2

German food and drink: from Bäckerei to the bill

German food words are often long, but they are built from short pieces you can take apart. This guide covers the bakery, the afternoon tradition of Kaffee und Kuchen, reading a menu, ordering politely, and the German way of paying: you say the total including the tip out loud.

Short answer: order with Ich hätte gern … (I’d like …) or Ich nehme … (I’ll have …). Call the waiter with Entschuldigung! Ask for the bill with Zahlen, bitte! Say whether you pay zusammen (together) or getrennt (separately), and round up by about 5–10%.

LONG WORDS, SHORT PIECES Apfel strudel Kartoffel salat Schweine braten appleder Strudel, rolled pastry potatoder Salat, salad pigder Braten, roast der Apfelstrudel · der Kartoffelsalat · der Schweinebraten
Read compounds from the end: the last piece is what the thing is, and it gives the whole word its gender (see der, die, das).

At the bakery

The Bäckerei opens early and sells hundreds of breads. Breakfast is built around Brötchen, crusty bread rolls, which have different regional names: Semmel in Bavaria and Austria, Schrippe in Berlin, Weckle in the southwest. Point, count and add bitte.

VierfourBrötchenrollsundandeineaBrezel,pretzelbitte.please
FEER BRÖT-khun oont INE-uh BRAY-tsul, BIT-uh “Four rolls and a pretzel, please.”
Why: Brötchen is the same in the singular and plural: nouns ending in -chen never change. Eine because Brezel is feminine.

Kaffee und Kuchen, and other drinks

On weekend afternoons, around three or four, many Germans stop for coffee and cake, at home or in a Café or Konditorei (cake shop). Cake is chosen at the counter and brought to your table. A plain Kaffee is filter coffee, not espresso. Ask for Leitungswasser (tap water) explicitly: water is otherwise served sparkling and charged for.

Ordering: from plain to polite

German has several ways to order, and all of them are correct. The difference is how polite they sound. Ich will (I want) is too blunt; the forms below are what people use.

The bars show how polite each form sounds. Hätte is the polite “would have” form of haben; like möchte, it is explained in modal verbs.

Paying and tipping

1 Schnitzel16,901 Apfelschorle3,801 Kaffee2,901 Strudel3,80 Summe27,40 „Dreißig, bitte.“ Thirty, please. tip: 2,60 € or with exact money: „Stimmt so.“ Keep the change.

Germans do not leave a tip on the table. When the waiter tells you the total, you say the amount you want to pay including the tip, and the waiter gives change from that. If you hand over a note and want no change, say Stimmt so, “that’s right as it is”. Many places now take cards, but smaller cafés may be nur bar, cash only.

Dinner at a Gasthaus

A traditional inn, from sitting down to paying. Every word has its English meaning underneath.

You
HabenhaveSieyoueinenaTischtablefürforzwei?two
HAH-bun zee INE-un TISH für TSVY “Do you have a table for two?”
Why: Der Tisch is masculine; haben takes the accusative, so einen.
Waiter
Ja,yesbittepleaseschön.nicely
yah, BIT-uh SHÖN “Yes, this way.”
Why: Bitte schön is used when offering something: “here you are”, “please go ahead”.
Waiter
Waswhatdarfmayesitsein?be
vahs darf es ZINE “What can I get you?”
Why: A fixed, friendly formula: literally “what may it be?”
You
IchIhättewould-havegerngladlydentheSchweinebraten.roast-pork
ikh HET-uh gairn dain SHVY-nuh-brah-tun “I’d like the roast pork.”
Why: Der Braten → den Braten in the accusative.
Waiter
Undandzutotrinken?drink
oont tsoo TRING-kun “And to drink?”
Why:
You
EineanApfelschorleapple-spritzerundandeinaLeitungswasser,tap-waterbitte.please
INE-uh AHP-ful-shor-luh oont ine LY-toongs-vah-ser, BIT-uh “An apple spritzer and a tap water, please.”
Why: Asking for Leitungswasser by name avoids being served bottled water.
Waiter
Hathasesitgeschmeckt?tasted
haht es guh-SHMEKT “Did you enjoy your meal?”
Why: Perfect tense of schmecken: “has it tasted (good)?”
You
Ja,yessehrverygut.goodZahlen,paybitte.please
yah, zair GOOT. TSAH-lun, BIT-uh “Yes, very good. The bill, please.”
Why: Zahlen alone, an infinitive, works as a polite request.

Ich bin Vegetarier: dietary needs

Vegetarian
IchIbinamVegetarier.vegetarian
ikh bin ve-ge-TAA-ree-er · “I’m vegetarian.”Why: No article: ich bin Vegetarier(in).
Allergy
IchIbinamallergischallergicgegen Nüsse.against nuts
ikh bin a-LER-gish GAY-gen NÜ-se · “I’m allergic to nuts.”Why: allergisch gegen + accusative.
Asking
IstisdathereFleischmeatdrin?in-it
ist daa FLAISH DRIN · “Is there meat in it?”Why: drin = darin, in it.
Without
OhnewithoutZwiebeln,onionsbitte.please
OH-ne TSVEE-beln, BI-te · “Without onions, please.”Why: ohne + accusative.

Beim Bäcker: the German bakery

Germany has hundreds of kinds of bread. A typical morning order at der Bäcker:

Related guides

Next guideTravelTrains, hotels and asking the way. Next guideModal verbsMöchte, könnten and other polite forms. Next guideGerman numbersPrices, the bill and euros and cents. Course mapGerman hubThe full course map from A1 to C2.