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German Phrase

Ich nehme das Hähnchen.

/ɪç ˈneːmə das ˈhɛːnçən/
Meaning"I take the chicken."
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Meaning

Literally ‘I take the chicken.’ In a restaurant or kitchen context it means ‘I’ll have the chicken’ or ‘I’ll take the chicken dish.’ The verb nehmen is often used to express a choice among menu items.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you are ordering food, picking a dish from a buffet, or telling someone you are taking the chicken portion. It is a direct, slightly informal way to state your choice.

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchnehmedasHähnchen

1

Personalpronomen (Ich)

Subject pronoun for the first person singular; always capitalised in German.

2

Verb nehmen (nehme)

Present‑tense, 1st‑person singular of nehmen ‘to take, to have’. The stem is ‘nehm‑’ and the ending ‘‑e’ marks ich.

3

Bestimmter Artikel (das)

Neuter definite article in the accusative case; used because Hähnchen is a neuter noun.

4

Nomen (Hähnchen)

Neuter noun meaning ‘chicken (meat)’. The plural is ‘Hähnchen’ as well, but here it is singular and accusative.

🗨In Conversation

A

Ich nehme das Hähnchen.

I’ll have the chicken.

Sehr gut, das kommt gleich.

Very good, it’ll be out shortly.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich nehme der Hähnchen.

    Hähnchen is neuter, so the correct article is ‘das’, not ‘der’.

  • Ich nehme das Hähnchen, bitte.

    When you want to be polite, native speakers often prefer ‘ich hätte gern’ or ‘ich möchte’ instead of ‘ich nehme’.

  • Ich nehme die Hähnchen.

    Avoid mixing singular and plural forms; ‘Hähnchen’ is both singular and plural, but the article must match the case.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich hätte gern das Hähnchen.

    I would like the chicken.

  • Ich bestelle das Hähnchen.

    I’m ordering the chicken.

  • Ich nehme das Hähnchenstück.

    I’ll take the chicken piece.

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Cultural Tip

In German restaurants it is more common to say “Ich hätte gern …” or “Ich möchte …” when ordering, as they sound a bit more polite. “Ich nehme …” is perfectly correct but can feel a little blunt, so use it with friends or in casual settings like a buffet.