German Phrase
Was gibt's heute für Suppe?
Meaning
Literally, 'What is there today for soup?' It is the everyday way to ask a waiter, cafeteria staff, or a friend what soup is being served on the current day.
When to use
Use this informal question in a canteen, restaurant, school cafeteria, or at a friend's house when you want to know the soup of the day before deciding what to eat.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Wasgibt'sheutefürSuppe?
Was (question word)
Interrogative pronoun used to ask about something unknown; placed at the beginning of a yes‑no or wh‑question.
gibt's (gibt es)
Contraction of the verb geben in the third person singular plus the impersonal pronoun 'es'; means 'there is/are'.
heute (adverb of time)
Indicates the present day; adverbs of time usually appear after the verb in German main clauses.
für (preposition)
Introduces the object of the question; here it means 'for' in the sense of 'what kind of'.
Suppe (noun, feminine)
The noun for 'soup'; in this construction it is used without an article because it follows 'für' in a generic sense.
🗨In Conversation
Was gibt's heute für Suppe?
What's the soup today?
Heute gibt es Tomatensuppe.
Today we have tomato soup.
✕Common Mistakes
Was gibt heute für Suppe?
The verb needs the impersonal pronoun 'es' (or its contraction) to be grammatical.
Was gibt's heute für die Suppe?
After 'für' you normally omit the article when speaking about the kind of soup.
Heute gibt's was für Suppe?
Word order should keep the verb in second position; the question word stays first.
↔Alternatives
Welche Suppe gibt es heute?
Which soup is there today?
Was gibt es heute an Suppe?
What soup is being offered today?
Was gibt's heute zum Essen?
What's on the menu today?
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries, many schools, workplaces, and traditional restaurants serve a daily soup as part of the menu. Asking 'Was gibt's heute für Suppe?' is considered friendly and informal; use the formal 'Sie' version – 'Was gibt es heute für Suppe?' – when speaking to strangers in a more formal setting.