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German Phrase

Ich mache Abendessen.

/ɪç ˈmaːçə ˈaːbntˌʔeːsn̩/
Meaning"I am making dinner."
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Meaning

Literally ‘I make dinner.’ In everyday speech it means ‘I’m preparing/cooking dinner right now.’ The verb *machen* is informal; native speakers often prefer *kochen* for the act of cooking.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to tell a friend, family member, or roommate that you are currently preparing the evening meal, or when you’re answering a question like ‘Was machst du gerade?’ (What are you doing?).

✦Grammar Breakdown

IchmacheAbendessen

1

Personalpronomen (Ich)

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

2

Präsens von machen

‘mache’ is the 1st‑person singular present of the verb ‘machen’ (to do/make).

3

Abendessen (Nomen)

A neuter compound noun meaning ‘dinner’; used without an article when speaking about the activity of preparing the meal.

🗨In Conversation

A

Was machst du gerade?

What are you doing right now?

Ich mache Abendessen.

I’m making dinner.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Ich mache Abendessen.

    While understandable, native speakers more often use *kochen* for cooking; *machen* sounds informal.

  • Ich mache das Abendessen.

    Dropping the article is fine in casual speech, but beginners sometimes add an unnecessary article (*ein* or *das*) which can sound stiff.

  • Ich machen Abendessen.

    Using the infinitive *machen* after *ich* is a grammar error; the correct conjugation is *mache*.

↔Alternatives

  • Ich koche Abendessen.

    I am cooking dinner.

  • Ich bereite das Abendessen zu.

    I am preparing the dinner.

  • Ich bereite das Abendessen vor.

    I am getting the dinner ready.

de

Cultural Tip

In German, *Abendessen* can refer both to the meal itself and to the time of eating. While *machen* is perfectly understandable, native speakers usually say *kochen* when they are actually cooking, and *zubereiten* for more general preparation. Adding the definite article (*das Abendessen*) sounds a bit more formal, whereas dropping the article (*Abendessen*) is common in casual conversation.