trinken

Trinken is a German verb meaning "to drink." It denotes the act of consuming liquids, such as water, coffee, or alcohol. It is used for both non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages and is neutral in tone; more specialized verbs (for example saufen) can carry different connotations in informal or emphatic contexts.

Conjugation: Trinken is an irregular, strong verb with vowel changes in the past. Present: ich trinke, du trinkst, er trinkt, wir trinken, ihr trinkt, sie trinken. Simple past (Präteritum): ich trank, du trankst, er trank, wir tranken, ihr trankt, sie tranken. Past participle: getrunken. Perfekt (present perfect): ich habe getrunken, du hast getrunken, er hat getrunken, wir haben getrunken, ihr habt getrunken, sie haben getrunken.

Usage and examples: Ich trinke Wasser. Trinkst du Kaffee? To go for a drink, German speakers say “etwas trinken gehen” or “ein Getränk trinken.” Common constructions include "etwas trinken" (to drink something), "ein Glas Wein trinken" (to drink a glass of wine), and "Kaffee trinken" (to drink coffee). In questions, the verb typically occupies the second slot in main clauses, as in "Trinkst du genug Wasser?"

Etymology and cognates: Trinken derives from the Germanic verb family, with Proto-Germanic roots linked to the verb for drinking. It is cognate with Dutch drinken and English drink. The noun das Trinken refers to the act or practice of drinking.