German word

Mittag

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈmɪtaːk/

Meaning

  • masculine nounnoon

Example

Wir verbringen den Mittag im Park.

We spend the noon hour in the park.

Illustration for Mittag (noon)

More examples

Wir essen meistens zusammen zu Mittag.

We usually eat lunch together.

Core concept

The day's central stretch, centered on twelve o'clock and often extending into the meal taken then.

Common phrases

  • am Mittag

    at midday

  • zu Mittag essen

    have lunch

  • gegen Mittag

    toward noon

Similar words

Mahlzeit: A customary workplace greeting used around midday.
Mittagessen: The meal eaten in the middle of the day.
Vormittag: The morning period leading up to noon.
Nachmittag: The afternoon period following noon.

Definition in German

Mittag bezeichnet die Zeit in der Tagesmitte, besonders den Zeitpunkt um zwölf Uhr, und wird häufig für das Mittagessen verwendet.

Word origin

German Mittag combines the older Germanic elements mitta, 'middle', and tag, 'day', meaning the middle of the day.

Usage tips

  • The fixed expression zu Mittag essen means 'to eat lunch', while the meal itself is Mittagessen, a separate neuter compound noun.

Other meanings

  • middaynoun
  • lunchtimenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word