German Phrase
Mit Freunden was trinken gehen.
Meaning
Literally, 'to go drink something with friends.' It’s a casual way to say you’re planning to meet friends for a drink – be it coffee, beer, or a cocktail. The phrase is informal and usually used among peers.
When to use
Use this sentence when you want to suggest or describe a relaxed outing with friends to have a drink. It works well in invitations, plans for the evening, or when recounting a recent meet‑up.
✦Grammar Breakdown
MitFreundenwastrinkengehen
Mit + Dativ
The preposition 'mit' always governs the dative case, so 'Freunden' is the dative plural of 'Freund'.
Freunden (Dativ Plural)
Plural nouns ending in -en in the dative take the article 'den' (omitted here) and keep the -en ending.
was vs. etwas
'was' is an informal, colloquial way to say 'something' (etwas) when talking about drinks.
Infinitive construction with gehen
In German you can combine a motion verb (gehen, kommen, fahren) with another infinitive to express 'go do something' – e.g., 'gehen trinken'.
Verb order
In the infinitive clause the verbs stay in their base form: 'trinken gehen' (not 'trinken zu gehen').
🗨In Conversation
Hast du Lust, heute Abend mit Freunden was trinken zu gehen?
Do you feel like going out for a drink with friends tonight?
Klar, das klingt super! Ich gehe gleich mit Freunden was trinken gehen.
Sure, that sounds great! I’m going to go have a drink with friends right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Mit Freunden was zu trinken gehen.
The motion verb 'gehen' does not take 'zu' before the second infinitive in this construction.
Mit Freunde was trinken gehen.
After 'mit' you need the dative case, so the noun must be 'Freunden'.
Mit Freunden etwas trinken gehen.
While 'etwas' is correct, many learners mistakenly drop the 'was' and replace it with 'etwas' in a way that sounds too formal for casual speech.
↔Alternatives
Mit Freunden etwas trinken gehen.
To go have something to drink with friends.
Mit Freunden einen Drink nehmen gehen.
To go have a drink with friends.
Mit Freunden etwas trinken gehen.
To go have a drink with friends.
Cultural Tip
In German‑speaking countries, meeting for a drink (Kaffee, Bier, or a cocktail) is a common social ritual, especially after work or on weekends. The phrase 'was trinken gehen' is colloquial; in more formal contexts you might say 'etwas trinken gehen' or specify the drink, e.g., 'ein Bier trinken gehen.' Remember that the verb 'gehen' is used without 'zu' in this construction – saying 'zu trinken gehen' sounds unnatural to native speakers.