German for everyday life › Supermarket
German supermarket vocabulary: 36 useful words
A German supermarket gives you more than food names to decode. Shelf labels, packaging and checkout questions all use vocabulary you may not meet in a beginner lesson. Start with these common words, including each noun's article and plural.
Five labels worth recognising first
Pfand is a container deposit, Mehrweg marks reusable packaging, Mindesthaltbarkeitsdatum (MHD) is the best-before date, Zutaten means ingredients, and Grundpreis is the comparison price per unit of weight or volume.
Dairy and eggs
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| dieMilch | — | milk |
| derJoghurt | die Joghurts | yoghurt |
| dieButter | — | butter |
| derKäse | die Käse | cheese |
| dasEi | die Eier | egg |
| dieSahne | — | cream |
Bread and staples
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| dasBrot | die Brote | bread, a loaf |
| dasBrötchen | die Brötchen | bread roll |
| derReis | — | rice |
| dieNudeln | — (normally plural) | pasta, noodles |
| dasMehl | — | flour |
| dieKartoffel | die Kartoffeln | potato |
Meat and cold cuts
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| dasHähnchen | die Hähnchen | chicken |
| dasRindfleisch | — | beef |
| dasSchweinefleisch | — | pork |
| dieWurst | die Würste | sausage |
| derSchinken | die Schinken | ham |
| derFisch | die Fische | fish |
Fruit and vegetables
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| derApfel | die Äpfel | apple |
| dieBanane | die Bananen | banana |
| dieOrange | die Orangen | orange |
| dieTomate | die Tomaten | tomato |
| dieGurke | die Gurken | cucumber |
| dieZwiebel | die Zwiebeln | onion |
| derKnoblauch | — | garlic |
| dasObst | — | fruit |
| dasGemüse | — | vegetables |
Condiments and drinks
| German | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| derZucker | — | sugar |
| dasSalz | — | salt |
| derPfeffer | — | pepper |
| dasÖl | die Öle | oil |
| derEssig | die Essige | vinegar |
| derSenf | die Senfe | mustard |
| dieMarmelade | die Marmeladen | jam |
| derSaft | die Säfte | juice |
| dasMineralwasser | — | mineral water |
Common checkout phrases
- Brauchen Sie eine Tüte?Do you need a bag?
- Zahlen Sie mit Karte oder bar?Are you paying by card or cash?
- Brauchen Sie den Kassenbon?Do you need the receipt?
- Wo finde ich die Milch?Where can I find the milk?
- Das ist alles, danke.That's everything, thank you.
Source and scope
The core vocabulary was checked against the Goethe-Institut's Deutsch Online A1 English glossary (PDF). Always follow the wording and allergen information printed on the product itself.
When a shelf label is not on this list, photograph it and turn it into your own German word card with pronunciation and an example sentence.
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