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German Phrase

Das ist ein Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

/das ɪst aɪn ˈapfəlˌkuːxən ʊnt aɪn teː/
Meaning"This is an apple cake and a tea."
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Meaning

The sentence states that the thing being pointed at consists of an apple cake and a cup of tea. It is a simple declarative statement used to identify food items on a table or menu.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you want to describe what is on a plate, in a kitchen, or on a menu, especially in a casual setting like a family breakfast or a café.

✦Grammar Breakdown

DasisteinApfelkuchenundeinTee.

1

Das (demonstrative pronoun)

‘Das’ points to something specific and is neuter; it functions like ‘this/that’ in English.

2

ist (sein – present)

‘ist’ is the third‑person singular present of ‘sein’ (to be) and links the subject with its description.

3

ein (indefinite article, neuter)

‘ein’ is the indefinite article for masculine and neuter nouns in the nominative case.

4

Apfelkuchen (compound noun)

A compound of ‘Apfel’ (apple) + ‘Kuchen’ (cake); the main noun is ‘Kuchen’, which is masculine.

5

und (coordinating conjunction)

Connects two noun phrases of the same grammatical case.

6

Tee (masculine noun)

‘Tee’ is a masculine noun; when used with ‘ein’, it stays in the nominative case.

🗨In Conversation

A

Was hast du zum Frühstück?

What do you have for breakfast?

Das ist ein Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

This is an apple cake and a tea.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Das ist der Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

    ‘der’ is the definite article; the sentence uses an indefinite article to introduce something new.

  • Das ist ein Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

    In everyday speech you would say ‘eine Tasse Tee’ to specify a cup of tea.

  • Das sind ein Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

    Do not use ‘sind’ because the subject ‘Das’ is singular.

↔Alternatives

  • Hier ist ein Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

    Here is an apple cake and a tea.

  • Das ist ein Stück Apfelkuchen und ein Tee.

    This is a piece of apple cake and a tea.

  • Ich habe Apfelkuchen und Tee.

    I have apple cake and tea.

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Cultural Tip

In German you usually say ‘ein Stück Apfelkuchen’ (a slice of apple cake) rather than just ‘ein Apfelkuchen’, because Kuchen is typically served in portions. Also, tea is normally served in a cup, so you might hear ‘eine Tasse Tee’ instead of ‘ein Tee’. The sentence is perfectly grammatical, but adding the word ‘Stück’ or ‘Tasse’ makes it sound more natural.