How do you say cup in German?

It’s what holds your morning coffee, warms your hands on a cold day, or clinks gently in a kitchen cabinet. In German, it’s die Tasse. This is your German Word of the Day - cozy, common, and perfect for anyone navigating daily life, from breakfast tables to coffee shops.

The noun Tasse means cup (especially for hot drinks), and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Whether you’re sipping Kaffee, Tee, or Kakao, you’ll hear this word a lot.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Tasse (want to learn gender without guessing? Our video lesson will make it stick).

Pronunciation

Tasse is pronounced [TAS-suh]

• Tas has a short German a; American task has a different vowel.

• se - a soft “suh”

• Stress on the first syllable: TASse

Example sentences

• Ich trinke jeden Morgen eine Tasse Kaffee.I drink a cup of coffee every morning.

• Willst du eine Tasse Tee?Want a cup of tea?

• Sie stellte die Tasse vorsichtig auf den Tisch.She placed the cup carefully on the table.

Nuance and usage tips

Tasse typically refers to ceramic or porcelain cups for hot drinks-not wine glasses (Glas). A mug is often called a Becher, which is also the word for a plastic or paper cup.

☕ Common combinations:

• Kaffeetasse - coffee cup

• Teetasse - teacup

• Lieblingstasse - favorite mug

• Espressotasse - espresso cup

• Tassenset - cup set (matching dishware)

🗣️ Common phrases:

• eine Tasse trinken - to have a cup of something

• eine Tasse nehmen - to grab a cup

• die Tasse ist voll / leer - the cup is full / empty

• eine halbe Tasse Milch - half a cup of milk (used in cooking too)
  nicht alle Tassen im Schrank haben - to have a screw loose
  Hoch die Tassen! - Bottoms up!

How does this word come up in real conversations?