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TOPIC: GERMAN Follow discussion

"Ich esse zu Mittag. "

Translation: I am eating lunch.

0 2 years ago

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32 Comments

fab186 20 12 11 11 3

How does this differ from 'Ich esse Mittagessen' ?

83 • 2 years ago

SimoneBa 15 13 10

We don't say "Ich esse Mittagessen". We might say, in certain contexts, "Ich esse mein
Mittagessen/Ich esse das Mittagessen", but "Ich esse zu Mittag" is the most appropriate
and the correct translation of "I am eating lunch".

282 17 • 2 years ago

Drumknott 17 12 8 7 5 4

I find myself wanting to say "zum Mittag" since I associate "zu" with the dative
case. Is this one of those set expressions that just is the way it is?

29 • 2 years ago

SimoneBa 15 13 10

Yeah, just learn it as it is. It's a standard phrase. However, if you want
to say "what's for lunch?", then it is "Was gibt es zum Mittagessen?"
(or "was gibt es zu Mittag?").

204 5 • 2 years ago

Drumknott 17 12 8 7 5 4

Many thanks for the helpful information! I will keep it in

mind.
 8 • 2 years ago

Boseous 15 7 3

Just out of curiosity, why are you commenting on the

English > German section without any levels in German or
English? Are you an admin?

2 • 2 years ago

SimoneBa 15 13 10

No, I'm just a learner, like everybody else... but

it's Portuguese and French I'm learning, since I
already speak German and English, obviously ;-)

71 1 • 2 years ago

hechap 17 3 382

What about ¨ Er isst mit Ihnen Mittagessen."? Is ¨das¨ necessary before

¨Mittagessen¨ in this example?

2 • 1 year ago

SimoneBa 15 13 10

We'd understand it no problem, but Er isst mit ihnen zu Mittag

sounds so much better.

4 • 1 year ago

RaviThakor 18 4

What does ZU stands for??? Can't we just write ich esse mittag?

26 • 2 years ago

Laruthell 24

"Mittag" just means "midday", "noon", or "lunch break", so "Ich esse Mittag" would mean
"I eat noon" . . . "noon" is not something you can eat; however, you can eat "at" noon.
That is what the "zu" does.

Edit: Not in a literal sense; SimoneBa explained in a comment below that "I eat at noon"
would actually be "Ich esse am Mittag" or "Ich esse mittags", but conceptually the idea
is the same. "Zu mittag" all together as a phrase refers to eating lunch.

102 • 2 years ago

marc.garci1 13

Best answer. Thank you.

6 • 1 year ago

Nonypink 17 8

yes , I've the same question .

2 • 2 years ago

Griffly 11 10 2

Same here.
 0 • 2 years ago

Riser2Serid 14

What does 'zu' mean?

9 • 1 year ago

Normaboy56 25 16 828

"I eat at noon" was marked wrong.

5 • 2 years ago

SimoneBa 15 13 10

That would be "Ich esse mittags" or "Ich esse am Mittag"

23 2 • 2 years ago

JamesWood17 15 9 3 3

Zu has multiple meanings that all must be learned. With an infinitive it often indicates purpose or
goal, e.g.

4 • 1 year ago

markandrew 25 24 22 6 2

Isn't this mainly from southern dialects? The Bernese say z'Mittag for instance.

2 • 2 years ago

LavethWolf 23 14 12 12 6 4 283

Zu can also mean "to" ( as in I walk "to" the house ). So I believe that this sentence would literally
mean :

I eat to noon.

For anyone that might find this off-putting. I believe that this can happen in English too. Such as
the sentence :

While in the forest, I run to ( "to" as in "while listening to" or "along with" ) the
sound of nature.

Correct me if this is wrong though.

2 • 1 year ago

baylonious 18 7

Seems strange that there's no reference to food, only to midday?

1 • 2 years ago

Laruthell 24

I think the word "essen" makes it clear enough. What do you eat, if not food?

4 • 2 years ago

baylonious 18 7

Oh yeah. Thanks.

2 • 2 years ago
Audreyovich 21 7 6 4 2 2

When to use Mittag and Mittagessen?

0 • 1 year ago

cyberdemon23 22

Copied from SimoneBa above:

We don't say "Ich esse Mittagessen". We might say, in certain contexts, "Ich esse mein
Mittagessen/Ich esse das Mittagessen", but "Ich esse zu Mittag" is the most appropriate
and the correct translation of "I am eating lunch".

0 • 1 year ago

grimoldi_marco 15 8 6

I'm really confused. "Zu Mittag" it is supposed to mean "at noon" or "at midday". I tried these
answers, but they're not accepted. Why? Anyone can help me? Thanks in advance

0 • 1 year ago

grimoldi_marco 15 8 6

Thanks to everyone expecially to SimoneBa

2 • 1 year ago

Shughoofa 11

If you can say 'ich Frühstück' can you not say 'ich Mittagessen'?

0 • 1 year ago

Laruthell 24

So, you can't actually say, "Ich Frühstück." because that would mean "I breakfast" (both
nouns, no verb). You could, however, say, "Ich frühstücke" because "frühstücken" is a
verb that means "to have breakfast."
http://dict.leo.org/ende/index_en.html#/search=fr%C3%BChst%C3%BCcken=0=basic=
on=0

So, the question is, is there a verb "mittagessen" that means, "to eat lunch"? I searched
Leo and did not find one. I did, however, find that the phrase "zu Mittag essen"
translates as "to have lunch" . . . which is no surprise. This Duolingo sentence is the way
to say it, evidently!
http://dict.leo.org/ende/index_en.html#/search=to%20have%20lunch=0=basic=on=0

3 • 1 year ago

SamerPoetr 11 9 5

What is the purpose of zu in the sentence?

0 • 1 year ago

EnBuyukFen1 12 11 4

What does zu mean here?

0 • 9 months ago

Fast-Eddy1 12 5

What about 'I eat at noon'? (It was marked wrong.)

 0 • 4 months ago

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