German word

Mensa

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmɛnza/

Meaning

  • feminine noununiversity cafeteria

Example

Die Mensen sind um zwölf Uhr sehr voll.

The university cafeterias are very crowded at noon.

Illustration for Mensa (university cafeteria)

More examples

Am Montag mussten wir vor der Mensa anstehen.

On Monday, we had to queue up in front of the university cafeteria.

Core concept

A student dining hall where trays move past serving counters and groups eat together at shared tables.

Common phrases

  • in die Mensa gehen

    go to the university cafeteria

  • vor der Mensa anstehen

    queue up in front of the university cafeteria

Similar words

Kantine: A cafeteria provided by an institution or organization for staff or students.
Cafeteria: A self-service food venue with meals selected and paid for at a counter.
Betriebsrestaurant: An employee dining facility operated by a company.
Speisesaal: A large communal room designed for many people to eat together.

Definition in German

Die Mensa ist der studentische Speisesaal an Hochschulen, wo Studierende oft gemeinsam und zu günstigen Preisen essen.

Word origin

German Mensa comes from Latin mensa, meaning 'table', and developed into a term for a university dining hall.

Usage tips

  • The plural is Mensen, not Mensas, and the feminine article is die: die Mensa and die Mensen.

Related words

  • Mensakarteuniversity cafeteria cardnoun
  • Mensaplanuniversity cafeteria menunoun

Word lists with this word