German word

Speise

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈʃpaɪ̯zə/

Meaning

  • feminine nounfood

Example

Auf dem Markt kaufe ich frische Speisen.

I buy fresh food at the market.

Illustration for Speise (food)

More examples

Beim Picknick gibt es gegrillte Speisen und frisches Brot.

At the picnic, there are grilled dishes and fresh bread.

Core concept

Prepared food presented for eating, with the focus on what has been made and served rather than on raw ingredients.

Common phrases

  • gegrillte Speisen

    grilled dishes

  • vegetarische Speisen

    vegetarian dishes

Similar words

Essen: Food commonly eaten in everyday life.
Gericht: A prepared dish served as one portion.
Mahlzeit: The food eaten as one complete meal.
Lebensmittel: Food products sold for consumption.

Definition in German

Speise bezeichnet ein zubereitetes Nahrungsmittel oder Gericht.

Word origin

The German noun developed from Old High German spīsa and Middle High German spise, borrowed from Latin spensa for provisions or food.

Usage tips

  • Gericht usually identifies a particular dish, while Speise can refer more broadly to prepared food and often appears in formal wording.

Other meanings

  • dishnoun

Related words

  • Speiseölcooking oilnoun
  • Speiserestefood scrapsnoun

Word lists with this word