It’s what warms you up on a cold day, starts a formal dinner, or comforts you when you’re sick. In German, it’s die Suppe. This is your German Word of the Day—simple, soothing, and served all across German-speaking kitchens.

The noun Suppe means soup, and it’s one of the 1000 most frequently used nouns in German. Whether it's a rustic lentil soup or a clear consommé, Suppe is a word that shows up often—in both daily meals and idiomatic expressions.

It’s a feminine noun, so we say die Suppe (want to master gender once and for all? Our video lesson teaches you the patterns that make it stick).

Pronunciation

Suppe is pronounced [ZOO-peh]

• Su like “zoo”

• ppe like “peh”

• Stress on the first syllable: SÚPpe

Example sentences

• Die Suppe ist noch heiß.
  The soup is still hot.

• Ich habe eine Gemüsesuppe gekocht.
  I made a vegetable soup.

• Willst du noch einen Teller Suppe?
  Do you want another bowl of soup?

Nuance and usage tips

🥣 Suppe refers to a wide range of liquid-based dishes, from broths to creamy purees.

🍲 Common varieties:

• Hühnersuppe – chicken soup

• Gemüsesuppe – vegetable soup

• Linsensuppe – lentil soup

• Tomatensuppe – tomato soup

• Kürbissuppe – pumpkin soup

• Rindfleischsuppe – beef broth

🍽️ Common phrases:

• eine Suppe löffeln – to eat soup

• etwas in der Suppe finden – to complain / find fault with something (literally: find something in the soup)

• Süppchen kochen (ugs.) – to act in one’s own interest behind the scenes

• jemandem die Suppe versalzen – to spoil someone’s plans (literally: salt someone’s soup too much)

How does this word come up in real conversations?

• "Gibt es heute Suppe zum Mittagessen?"
  Is there soup for lunch today?

• "Die Suppe schmeckt wie bei Oma."
  The soup tastes like grandma’s.

• "Ich esse Suppe nur mit Brot dazu."
  I only eat soup with bread on the side.

Sample Dialogue (Beginner Level)

Lea: Was gibt’s zu essen?
Ben: Eine heiße Suppe – willst du probieren?
Lea: Gerne. Riecht lecker!
Ben: Ist mit Kürbis und Ingwer.

Translation:
Lea: What’s for dinner?
Ben: A hot soup—want to try it?
Lea: Sure. Smells delicious!
Ben: It’s made with pumpkin and ginger.

Grammatical case examples

Nominative:
Die Suppe ist zu heiß.
The soup is too hot.

Accusative:
Ich nehme die Suppe als Vorspeise.
I’ll have the soup as a starter.

Dative:
Mit der Suppe wurde mir gleich warm.
The soup immediately warmed me up.

Genitive:
Der Geschmack der Suppe ist wunderbar.
The taste of the soup is wonderful.

Word variations and language tidbits

• Suppenteller – soup plate

• Suppenkelle – soup ladle

• Suppenlöffel – soup spoon

• Suppe aufwärmen – to reheat soup (also figurative: bring up old issues)

• Suppenküche – soup kitchen

• Suppe kochen – to cook soup (also used figuratively)

🍜 Fun fact: Germans often eat Suppe as a starter, especially in traditional multi-course meals. A clear broth with small noodles or Grießnockerl (semolina dumplings) is a typical choice.

📘 Duden entry: https://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/Suppe
🎥 Want to serve your German with clarity and flavor? Our free video course teaches the top 1000 nouns with grammar, context, and real-world examples.

Ready for more German Words of the Day?
Do you know what Tag means? A bowl of Suppe can warm even a cold one.
And what about Tagebuch? You might write in it about the Suppe you spilled.