verb

essen

eat

Diesen Vorgang macht man, wenn man Hunger hat. Man nimmt Dinge mit dem Mund auf, kaut sie und schluckt sie dann hinunter.

Definition & meaning

essen means to eat: to consume food. It can refer to eating in general or to having a meal.

Capitalized as Essen, it is a noun meaning food or a meal.

Grammar & Word origin

essen is an irregular verb. Its principal forms are essen (infinitive), aß (simple past), and gegessen (past participle). It forms the perfect tense with haben: hat gegessen (“has eaten”).

The verb has no separable parts. It comes from an old Germanic root related to eating and food.

Synonyms & antonyms

speisen — “to dine” or “to eat”; more formal than essen.
verzehren — “to consume”; more formal and often emphasizes the act of consuming food.
zu sich nehmen — literally “to take in”; a neutral, somewhat indirect way to say “to eat.”

There is no exact antonym. hungern means “to go hungry” or “to starve,” but it describes a lack of food rather than the opposite action of eating.