When do Germans eat lunch? What do they call it? How do you talk about it in daily conversation? Learning how to say lunch in German gives you access to one of the most universal parts of life — food! It’s a great word to know for both cultural understanding and practical fluency.
The German word for lunch is das Mittagessen, and the plural is die Mittagessen (though it’s rarely used). It’s a neuter noun, and if you’d like a simple way to remember German genders and articles, check out my gender video lesson.
Mittagessen is one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German — and it pops up in work, school, family life, and even in small talk.
Here’s how the word appears in all four cases:
Nominative:
Das Mittagessen war lecker.
The lunch was delicious.
Accusative:
Ich bereite das Mittagessen vor.
I’m preparing lunch.
Dative:
Nach dem Mittagessen machen wir einen Spaziergang.
After lunch we’ll take a walk.
Genitive:
Die Qualität des Mittagessens war überraschend gut.
The quality of the lunch was surprisingly good.
Verbs commonly used with Mittagessen include kochen (to cook), essen (to eat), vorbereiten (to prepare), genießen (to enjoy), auslassen (to skip), and einnehmen (to take/consume). You might hear:
Wann gibt’s Mittagessen? – When’s lunch?
Ich habe das Mittagessen verpasst. – I missed lunch.
Adjectives include lecker (tasty), leicht (light), warm (warm), gesund (healthy), or schnell (quick). In Germany, Mittagessen is typically a warm meal, unlike the sandwich-heavy lunches common in the U.S. or U.K.
Here’s a simple beginner dialogue:
A: Gehen wir zusammen Mittagessen?
B: Gerne! Ich kenne ein gutes Restaurant.
A: Shall we get lunch together?
B: Gladly! I know a good restaurant.
Your turn! Think of your answer and say it out loud. Use Mittagessen in your sentence — that’s the goal.
“Was isst du normalerweise zum Mittagessen?”
What do you usually eat for lunch?
Even short spoken responses help make the word automatic and comfortable to use.
German Word of the Day
Now you know how to say lunch in German and how to use das Mittagessen in daily talk — from planning meals to making invitations. Practical vocabulary like this keeps your German fresh, relevant, and real.
Download the free illustrated PDF of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German and keep growing your word power with context and confidence.
Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Check out Netz — and explore how to talk about connections, the internet, and more.
Or revisit Nerven — and learn how to express stress, calm, and emotional states.