German for Beginners: Asking 'What is in this?' and 'Does this have ___?' to Explore Ingredients
Learn to ask 'What is in this?' and 'Does this have ___?' in German, and name common ingredients like cheese, meat, and onions. Perfect for curious foodies!
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you're curious about what's in a dish, you need two key questions in German: 'Was ist da drin?' (What's in this?) and 'Ist da ___ drin?' (Does this have ___?). These questions let you discover ingredients out of interest, not restriction. In this lesson, you'll learn these phrases, common ingredient words, and how to use them naturally in everyday situations like ordering at a restaurant or shopping at a market.
By the end, you can…
- ask 'What is in this?' in German.
- ask 'Does this have ___?' in German.
- name at least five common ingredients in German.
- understand simple answers about ingredients.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Was ist da drin?
What is in this?
vahs ist dah drin?
Use when pointing at a dish or product. 'Da' refers to the thing you're indicating.
Ist da Käse drin?
Does this have cheese in it?
ist dah KAY-zuh drin?
Replace 'Käse' with any ingredient. 'Drin' means 'in it'.
Ist da Fleisch drin?
Does this have meat in it?
ist dah flīsh drin?
Useful for checking if a dish contains meat. 'Fleisch' is neuter, but no article needed here.
Ist da Zwiebel drin?
Does this have onion in it?
ist dah TSVEE-buhl drin?
Note: 'Zwiebel' is feminine, but in this pattern, we omit the article. For plural, say 'Zwiebeln'.
Was ist in der Suppe?
What is in the soup?
vahs ist in dair ZUP-uh?
Use 'in der' for feminine nouns like 'Suppe'. For masculine/neuter, use 'in dem' (often contracted to 'im').
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To ask 'Does this have ___?', use: 'Ist da ___ drin?' Simply insert the ingredient. For example: 'Ist da Zucker drin?' (Does this have sugar in it?) or 'Ist da Milch drin?' (Does this have milk in it?). The word 'drin' is short for 'darin' and means 'in it'. You can also ask about specific items: 'Ist in dem Kuchen Zucker drin?' (Is there sugar in the cake?). Note that the ingredient noun usually comes after 'da' and before 'drin'.
When to use it
Use these questions when you're curious about a dish's contents, like at a bakery, restaurant, or when reading a menu. For example, if you see a cake and wonder if it has nuts, ask: 'Ist da Nuss drin?' If you want to know what's in a sauce, say: 'Was ist in der Soße?' These questions are neutral and show interest. They are not about avoiding ingredients due to allergies or diet; for that, you'd say 'Ich darf keinen Käse essen' (I can't eat cheese) or 'Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse' (I'm allergic to nuts).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Was ist da drin?
What is in this?vahs ist dah drin?Da ist Käse und Tomate drin.
There is cheese and tomato in it.dah ist KAY-zuh unt toh-MAH-tuh drin.Ist da auch Zwiebel drin?
Does it also have onion in it?ist dah oukh TSVEE-buhl drin?Nein, Zwiebel ist nicht drin.
No, onion is not in it.nīn, TSVEE-buhl ist nikht drin.A little context goes a long way
In German-speaking countries, asking about ingredients is common and polite. In restaurants, it's fine to ask 'Was ist da drin?' if you're curious. However, if you have dietary restrictions, it's better to state them clearly: 'Ich esse kein Fleisch' (I don't eat meat) or 'Ich bin allergisch gegen Nüsse' (I'm allergic to nuts). In Austria and Switzerland, some ingredient words may differ (e.g., 'Paradeiser' for tomato in Austria), but standard German is widely understood.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Ist da ___?' without 'drin' at the end, e.g., 'Ist da Käse?'
Try this instead: While 'Ist da Käse?' can mean 'Is there cheese there?', it doesn't specifically ask if cheese is in the dish. To ask about an ingredient in something, include 'drin': 'Ist da Käse drin?'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Does this have milk in it?' in German?
Show a sample answer
Ist da Milch drin?
This uses the pattern 'Ist da ___ drin?' with 'Milch' (milk). 'Milch' is feminine, but no article is needed in this structure.
2What does 'Was ist in der Suppe?' mean?
Show a sample answer
What is in the soup?
'Was ist in der Suppe?' asks about the contents of the soup. 'Suppe' is feminine, so 'in der' is used.
3Translate: 'Does this have meat in it?'
Show a sample answer
Ist da Fleisch drin?
This uses 'Fleisch' (meat) in the pattern. 'Fleisch' is neuter, but again, no article is used in this question.
Use 'Was ist da drin?' for 'What's in this?' and 'Ist da ___ drin?' for 'Does this have ___?' to satisfy your curiosity about ingredients in German.
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s German into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr