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Questions & Answers about Das Essen war super.
Why is Essen capitalized and used with the article das?
Essen is the capitalized infinitive of the verb essen (to eat). In German, you can turn any verb into a noun this way to describe the concept or result of the action. These verb-nouns always take the neuter article das. Here, das Essen translates to "the food" or "the meal."
What is the difference between das Essen and other words for food like die Lebensmittel?
das Essen generally refers to a prepared meal or the food you are eating right now in a restaurant or at home. die Lebensmittel translates closer to "groceries" or "foodstuffs" that you would buy at a supermarket and use as ingredients.
Why use the simple past war here instead of the conversational past ist gewesen?
While spoken German usually relies on the perfect tense for the past, the verb sein (to be) is a major exception. Native speakers almost always use its simple past forms (war, warst, etc.) even in casual conversation because it is shorter and flows much more naturally than ist gewesen.
Would the word super get an adjective ending if it came directly before the noun?
In this sentence, super comes after the verb, so it takes no ending, just like any other German adjective. However, even if you put it before the noun, it is a special exception. Because it is a colloquial loanword, it traditionally does not take adjective endings, so you would just say das super Essen.