Kauen

Kauen is the German verb meaning to chew. It describes the mechanical processing of food by biting and grinding with the teeth, together with mixing it with saliva, and thus initiating digestion. The noun das Kauen refers to the act itself, and the term is commonly used in medical, dental, and nutritional contexts.

Kauen is a regular verb. In the present tense the forms are: ich kaue, du kaust, er kaut, wir kauen, ihr kaut, sie kauen. The simple past forms are: ich kaute, du kautest, er kaute, wir kauten, ihr kautet, sie kauten. The past participle is gekaut.

Etymology: Kauen is of Germanic origin and has cognates in related languages, such as Dutch kauwen. The word belongs to the same semantic field as chewing in other Germanic languages and shares roots with terms describing mastication.

Biology and medicine: Chewing, or mastication, is the first stage of digestion. In humans it involves teeth, lips, tongue, and jaw muscles—principally the masseter and temporalis—to break down food, mix it with saliva, and form a swallowable bolus. The efficiency and pattern of chewing depend on food texture, dental occlusion, and temporomandibular joint health.

In everyday language, Kauen can also appear in figurative uses to describe considering or pondering something at length, though the literal sense is the most common usage.