Likes & Dislikes (Junior Cert German): Revision Notes
Likes and Dislikes
Learning to talk about what you enjoy eating and drinking is essential in German. This guide will help you express your food preferences confidently using simple, natural phrases.
Essential verbs for food and drink
When discussing food and drink in German, you'll use two key verbs. The verb essen means "to eat" and trinken means "to drink". These form the foundation of all food-related conversations.
Basic Sentence Structure:
- Ich esse Pizza - I eat pizza
- Ich trinke Wasser - I drink water
Food vocabulary
Understanding basic food vocabulary is crucial for expressing your preferences. Notice how each food item has a specific article (der, die, or das) that you should memorise along with the word.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| der Salat | salad |
| der Kuchen | cake |
| der Toast | toast |
| der Apfel | apple |
| die Pommes | chips |
| die Pizza | pizza |
| die Schokolade | chocolate |
| die Nudeln | pasta |
| die Marmelade | jam |
| das Brot | bread |
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Obst | fruit |
| das Gemüse | vegetables |
| das Hähnchen | chicken |
| das Curry | curry |
| das Fleisch | meat |
Using Food Vocabulary in Context:
- Ich esse oft Salat zum Mittagessen - I often eat salad for lunch
- Das Hähnchen ist sehr lecker - The chicken is very tasty
- Meine Mutter kauft frisches Obst - My mother buys fresh fruit
Drinks vocabulary
Just like with food, each drink has its specific article. Learning these together will help you speak more naturally.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Cola | cola |
| das Wasser | water |
| der Orangensaft | orange juice |
| die Limonade | lemonade |
| der Kaffee | coffee |
| die Milch | milk |
| der Tee | tea |
Drinks in Daily Conversation:
- Ich trinke jeden Morgen Kaffee - I drink coffee every morning
- Wasser ist sehr gesund - Water is very healthy
- Der Orangensaft schmeckt süß - The orange juice tastes sweet
Expressing likes and dislikes
To show that you enjoy something, add the word gern after the verb. This word means "gladly" or shows that you like doing something. To express dislikes, add nicht gern after the verb.
The word gern is essential in German - without it, you're just stating a fact rather than expressing preference. Compare:
- Ich esse Pizza (I eat pizza - just a fact)
- Ich esse gern Pizza (I like eating pizza - shows preference)
Expressing likes:
- Ich esse gern Schokolade - I like eating chocolate
- Ich trinke gern Tee - I like drinking tea
Expressing dislikes:
- Ich esse nicht gern Gemüse - I don't like eating vegetables
- Ich trinke nicht gern Milch - I don't like drinking milk
Adding reasons with "denn"
You can make your opinions more interesting by explaining why you like or dislike something. Use denn (because) followed by a reason. This makes your German sound more natural and conversational.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| lecker | tasty |
| süß | sweet |
| salzig | salty |
| scharf | spicy |
| köstlich | delicious |
| gesund | healthy |
| erfrischend | refreshing |
Adding Reasons to Your Opinions:
- Ich esse gern Kuchen, denn er ist lecker - I like eating cake because it is tasty
- Ich trinke nicht gern Cola, denn es ist sehr süß - I don't like drinking cola because it is very sweet
- Ich esse gern Curry, denn es ist scharf - I like eating curry because it is spicy
Remember that denn helps you connect your opinion with your reason. This makes your German sound more fluent and gives others insight into your preferences.
Asking about preferences
When you want to know what others enjoy, use these useful questions. These are perfect conversation starters in German-speaking countries:
- Was isst du gern? - What do you like to eat?
- Was trinkst du gern? - What do you like to drink?
- Was isst du nicht gern? - What don't you like to eat?
- Was trinkst du nicht gern? - What don't you like to drink?
Talking about plural foods
When discussing plural foods (more than one item), remember to change es ist (it is) to sie sind (they are). This is a crucial grammar rule that many students forget.
Plural Agreement Rule:
- Singular: es ist (it is)
- Plural: sie sind (they are)
This change is essential for grammatically correct German!
Singular vs Plural Examples:
- Ich esse gern Erdbeeren, denn sie sind köstlich - I like eating strawberries because they are delicious
- Ich esse nicht gern Pommes, denn sie sind salzig - I don't like eating chips because they are salty
Meal vocabulary
Talking about different meals helps you describe your daily eating habits. Remember that in German, the verb comes directly after the meal phrase - this is an important word order rule.
| German | English |
|---|---|
| das Frühstück | breakfast |
| das Mittagessen | lunch |
| das Abendessen | dinner/evening meal |
Word Order with Meals: The verb must come immediately after meal phrases like zum Frühstück, zum Mittagessen, and zum Abendessen.
Correct Meal Sentence Structure:
- Zum Frühstück esse ich Toast und Marmelade - For breakfast I eat toast and jam
- Zum Mittagessen trinke ich Wasser - For lunch I drink water
- Zum Abendessen esse ich gern Hähnchen - For dinner I like eating chicken
Translation exercise
Test your understanding with these practice sentences. Try translating them before checking the answers.
- Ich esse gern Pizza, denn sie ist lecker.
- Was trinkst du gern zum Frühstück?
- I don't like drinking coffee because it is bitter.
- What do you like to eat for lunch?
Answers:
- I like eating pizza because it is tasty.
- What do you like to drink for breakfast?
- Ich trinke nicht gern Kaffee, denn er ist bitter.
- Was isst du gern zum Mittagessen?
Common mistakes and tips
Learning from common errors will help you avoid them and speak more confidently.
Common Mistake 1: Forgetting "gern" when expressing likes
- ❌ Ich esse Pizza (This just means "I eat pizza")
- ✅ Ich esse gern Pizza (I like eating pizza)
Common Mistake 2: Using wrong plural agreement
- ❌ Ich esse gern Erdbeeren, denn es ist süß
- ✅ Ich esse gern Erdbeeren, denn sie sind süß
Common Mistake 3: Wrong word order with meals
- ❌ Zum Frühstück ich esse Toast
- ✅ Zum Frühstück esse ich Toast
Pronunciation tip: The "ü" in "Frühstück" sounds like the "u" in "cute" - pucker your lips and say "ee".
Key Points to Remember:
- Use essen for eating and trinken for drinking
- Add gern after the verb to show you like something
- Use denn to give reasons for your preferences
- Change es ist to sie sind when talking about plural foods
- Put the verb directly after meal phrases like zum Frühstück
- Practice these patterns regularly to build fluency in expressing food preferences