verb

grillen

grill

Speisen über offenem Feuer oder einer heißen Fläche zubereiten, meist im Freien.

Definition & meaning

The verb grillen primarily refers to the process of cooking food, such as meat, sausages, or vegetables, over direct heat. This is typically done on a metal grate over charcoal, a gas flame, or an electric heating element. In German culture, it is a very common social activity often associated with summer, parks, and gardens.

In a figurative and colloquial sense, grillen can also mean to interrogate someone intensely. Just like the English expression "to grill someone," it implies questioning a person sharply or putting them under significant pressure to reveal information.

Grammar & Word origin

grillen is a regular (weak) verb. Its principal forms are:

Präsens: ich grille, du grillst, er/sie/es grillt
Präteritum: ich grillte
Perfekt: hat gegrillt

The word was borrowed into German in the 19th century from the English verb "to grill." The English term itself originates from the French "griller," which is derived from the Latin "craticulum," meaning a small gridiron or lattice.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms for cooking:

rösten: To roast or toast, often used for coffee or bread.
braten: To fry or roast in a pan or oven.
schmoren: To braise or stew.
barbecue: Sometimes used in German to refer specifically to the American style of low-and-slow smoking.

Synonyms for interrogating:

ausfragen: To question someone thoroughly.
verhören: To interrogate, usually in a formal or police context.
löchern: To pester someone with questions (literally "to punch holes in someone").

Antonyms: