It’s seems to be a rule of nature that at every house party, no matter how nicely you arranged the dining room, people sooner or later start gathering in the kitchen. Even if our kitchens are usually all electric nowadays, we all seem to have this stone-age urge to assemble around the fire where the meals are cooked.
Germans, of course, are no different in this aspect. But what is the translation for kitchen in German and what are the names for all the kitchen items in German? You can find out in our German kitchen vocabulary below. And as you might know, there are a number of renowned German brands for kitchen appliances. So make yourself a cup of coffee in the “Kaffeemaschine” (coffee maker), and make yourself comfortable at the “Küchentisch” (kitchen table). There’s a lot to learn in today’s blog post.
Kitchen in German
The German word for kitchen is “die Küche” (plural: “die Küchen”). As you will probably know, all nouns have a gender in German (masculine, feminine or neuter), and “die Küche” is feminine. The word itself stems from the Latin “cocina” for kitchen, a room for cooking.
| English Expressions | German Translations | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| kitchen | die Küche | feminine |
| built-in kitchen / fitted kitchen | die Einbauküche | feminine |
| country kitchen | die Landhausküche | feminine |
| dustbin | der Mülleimer | masculine |
| kitchen cabinet | der Küchenschrank | masculine |
| kitchen clock | die Küchenuhr | feminine |
| kitchen countertop | die Arbeitsplatte | feminine |
| kitchen equipment | die Kücheneinrichtung | feminine |
| kitchen garden | der Küchengarten | feminine |
| kitchen help | die Küchenhilfe | feminine |
| kitchen hood | die Dunstabzugshaube | feminine |
| kitchen island | die Kücheninsel | feminine |
| kitchen knife | das Küchenmesser | neuter |
| kitchen paper | das Küchentuch | neuter |
| kitchen radio | das Küchenradio | neuter |
| kitchen roll | die Küchenrolle | feminine |
| kitchen salt | das Kochsalz | neuter |
| kitchen scales | die Küchenwaage | feminine |
| kitchen sink | die Spüle / das Spülbecken | feminine / neuter |
| kitchen staff | das Küchenpersonal | neuter |
| kitchen stove | der Küchenherd | masculine |
| kitchen table | der Küchentisch | masculine |
| kitchen timer | der Küchenwecker | masculine |
| kitchen towel | das Geschirrtuch | neuter |
| kitchen unit | die Küchenzeile | feminine |
| kitchen utensil | das Küchengerät | neuter |
| kitchen waste | die Küchenabfälle | plural (singular is masculine) |
| kitchenette | die Kochnische / die Küchenzeile | feminine |
Example Sentences
- Ich muss dringend die Küche saubermachen! — I really need to clean the kitchen!
- In meinem neuen Haus möchte ich unbedingt eine Kücheninsel in meiner neuen Küche. — In my new house, I really want a kitchen island in my new kitchen.
- Ich wünsche mir einen kleinen Küchengarten, dann hätte ich immer frische Kräuter zur Hand, wenn ich koche. — I wish I had a small kitchen garden, then I would always have fresh herbs on hand when I cook.
Kitchen Utensils in German
Apart from appliances and cookware, there’s also a numerous amount of utensils you need in the kitchen. So we will also delve into the German words for kitchen utensils (“die Küchenutensilien“).
| English Expressions | German Translations | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| bottle opener | der Flaschenöffner | masculine |
| can opener (American English) | der Dosenöffner | masculine |
| cheese grater | die Käsereibe | feminine |
| cheese slicer | der Käsehobel | masculine |
| citrus juicer | die Zitruspresse | feminine |
| corkscrew | der Korkenzieher | masculine |
| dough scraper | der Teigschaber | masculine |
| egg slicer | der Eierschneider | masculine |
| funnel | der Trichter | masculine |
| garlic press | die Knoblauchpresse | feminine |
| grater | die Reibe | feminine |
| hand blender | der Stabmixer | masculine |
| handheld electric mixer | der Handmixer | masculine |
| mandolin slicer | der Gemüsehobel | masculine |
| masher | der Kartoffelstampfer | masculine |
| meat tenderizer | der Fleischklopfer | masculine |
| meat thermometer | das Fleischthermometer | neuter |
| mortar | der Mörser | masculine |
| pestle | der Stößel | masculine |
| pizza cutter | der Pizzaschneider | masculine |
| potato peeler | der Kartoffelschäler | masculine |
| scissors | die Schere | feminine |
| skewer | der Schaschlikspieß | masculine |
| spatula | der Pfannenwender | masculine |
| spit | der Bratspieß | masculine |
| tin opener (British English) | der Dosenöffner | masculine |
| wooden spoon | der Kochlöffel | masculine |
| zest cutter | der Zestenschneider | masculine |
Example Sentences
- Wo ist denn schon wieder der Dosenöffner hingekommen? — Where did the can opener go again?
- Jetzt habe ich mich an der Käsereibe geschnitten! — Now I’ve cut myself on the cheese grater!
- Ich liebe es, die Teigreste vom Teigschaber zu lecken. — I love licking the dough scraps off the dough scraper.
Sayings with Kitchen in German
- in Teufels Küche kommen / geraten
literally translates to: to get into devils kitchen
meaning: to get into trouble - den Braten riechen
literally translates to: to smell the roast
meaning: to have the strong feeling something is wrong, comes from a German - das sieht aus wie Kraut und Rüben
literally translates as: this looks like cabbage and beets
meaning: a big mess – from kitchen language, where cabbage and beets are mixed together
Conclusion
Kitchens don’t only sell houses, they are an important part of every home. And as you have been reading this article until the end, you now know a lot more about German kitchen vocabulary than just how to say kitchen in German.
