Fruits in German: What You Need to Know

Need to know your fruits in German but don’t know where to start? Check out this post for everything you need to know about fruits in German.

As someone who’s planning to move to Germany soon, knowing my fruits in German was definitely an essential for me. I wanted to be well-equipped if I were to go to a grocery store in Germany or even bake. Because, last time I checked… you can’t always rely on English 100% of the time when you travel. In fact, sometimes making the effort to learn and pronounce certain words in German can make all the difference.

So, if you’re looking to learn your fruits in German, you’ve come to the right place. This post alone not only highlights what these fruits are in German, but it also takes into consideration what German dishes you can make with them.

Common Fruits in German

There are a lot of common fruits in Germany you’ll obviously recognize if you’re American. Some of these fruits are pronounced very similarly to native English speakers while others take on a whole different pronunciation in German.

The following table below lists the most common fruits you can find in Germany:

German	English
der Apfel	apple
die Limette	lime
die Pflaume	plum
die Kirsche	cherry
die Zitrone	lemon
die Tomate	tomato
die Grapefruit	grapefruit
der Pfirsich	peach
die Aprikose	apricot
die Birne	pear

Fun Fact(s)

• There’s actually a popular drink in Germany made out of apples. It’s known as the Apfelschorle and it’s a carbonated drink made from apple juice.
• Plums are known for growing wild in many parts of Germany. Their sweet flavor and refreshing texture is what makes them popular.
• Similar to apples, pears are also known for growing easily in Germany. In fact, the word for a light bulb in German is called a Glühbirne which translates to a “glowing pear”.
• Apricot in Germany is normally found in Musli, which is like a granola, and Studentenfutter, which is like trail mix.
• Cherries are known for growing in the southernmost part of Germany. You can find them in the state Baden-Würtemberg especially.
• Peaches actually don’t grow in Germany. Germans tend to import them from Spain or Italy due to their warmer climates.
• The word for “lemon” in German, die Zitrone, is closely related to the English word for “citrus”.

Tropical Fruits in German

Tropical fruits are fruits that are harvested in tropical or subtropical regions. So, as a result, these fruits typically get imported to Germany due to the country’s climate.

The following table below lists some tropical fruits you can find in Germany:

German	English
die Ananas	pineapple
die Mango	mango
die Drachenfrucht	dragonfruit
die Orange	orange
die Mandarine	mandarin
die Avocado	avocado
die Feige	fig
die Dattel	date
die Passionsfrucht	passionfruit
die Wassermelone	watermelon
die Guave	guava
die Papaya	payaya
der Granatapfel	pomegranate
die Banane	banana
der Kiwi	kiwi

Fun Facts

• Bananas are one of the easiest fruits to store in Germany. You can find them in many restaurants as well as supermarkets too.
• Kiwis in Germany are typically used for a lot of desserts and cocktails.

Berries in German

Since berries are typically grown in colder climates, you can actually pick a lot of them in Germany. In fact, it’s even been said that the more sun they get, the sweeter the berries are. So, if you’re in Germany during the summer, I highly recommend picking some berries from their strawberry and raspberry fields. They actually have a popular strawberry field that’s located right in Munich that you definitely don’t want to miss!

The following table below lists some berries you can actually find in Germany:

German	English
die Erdbeere	strawberry
die Himbeere	raspberry
die Blaubeere	blueberry
die Brombeere	blackberry
die Boysenbeere	boysenberry
die Holunderbeere	elderberry
die Mohnbeere	cranberry
die Stachelbeere	gooseberry
die Heidelbeere	huckleberry

Fun Facts

• The German word for “strawberry”, die Erdbeere, literally translates to “earth berry” in English because they grow from the ground.
• Most of the cranberries you see in Germany are actually imported from America. The technical name for this fruit is Großfrüchtige Moosbeere, but most Germans just refer to them as Moosbeeren.

Nuts in German

Although this may not be common knowledge, nuts are also considered to be a fruit in Germany. They are actually some of the most healthiest ones since they’re a great source of vitamins, minerals and proteins.

The following table below lists some nuts you can actually find in Germany:

German	English
die Cashewnuss	cashew
die Erdnuss	peanut
die Haselnuss	hazelnut
die Macadamianuss	macadamia nut
die Mandel	almond
die Pekannuss	pecan
die Pistazie	pistachio
die Walnuss	walnut

Fun Facts

• There’s a snack in Germany called Peanut Flips that’s made out of peanuts and cornmeal.
• Hazelnut is known as a symbol for sexuality in Germany.

Idioms for Fruits in German

Here are some common German idioms you might hear that involve fruits in Germany!

German	English
nicht gut Kirschen essen	something Germans say when someone is unpleasant to be around
in den sauren Apfel beißen	something Germans say when they have to do something they don’t want to do

German Verbs Related to Fruit

Here are also some useful German verbs you might hear used with fruits in German! These are important to keep in mind if you’re following a recipe in German or if you’re trying to communicate the instructions to someone.

German	English
schälen	to peel
aussaugen	to suck
genießen	to enjoy
auspressen	to squeeze
die Kerne entfernen	to remove the seeds
essen	to eat
schneiden	to cut

German Dishes With Fruit

Here are some fruity German dishes you might come across in a German-speaking country! Some of these dishes aren’t too hard to make so I added some videos if you wanted to follow along below.

• Berliner

Named after the German capital, Berlin, the Berliner is an Austrian pastry that’s made out of sweet dough. The sweet dough resembles a doughnut and it can be filled with strawberry, raspberry, plum or cherry jam.

• Pflaumenkuchen

Literally translated as “plum cake” in English, Pflaumenkuchen is a fruity German dish that’s made from a crust covered with plums. It’s popular in a lot of German-speaking countries and it’s usually served as a dessert after a dinner or a big event.

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Overall, I really hope you enjoyed learning about everything you need to know about fruits in German. Please let me know in the comments down below what fun fact about fruits in Germany surprised you the most. I would love to hear from you! 🙂

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