Inzwischen ist das Essen fertig.

Breakdown of Inzwischen ist das Essen fertig.

sein
to be
das Essen
the meal
fertig
ready
inzwischen
by now
Elon.io is an online learning platform
We have an entire course teaching German grammar and vocabulary.

Start learning German now

Questions & Answers about Inzwischen ist das Essen fertig.

Why does the verb come second after Inzwischen?
German main clauses follow the verb-second (V2) rule. If you put a time adverb like Inzwischen at the start, the finite verb (ist) must still be the second element, so the subject (das Essen) follows the verb. A neutral variant is: Das Essen ist inzwischen fertig. Both are correct; initial Inzwischen puts more focus on the time frame.
What exactly does inzwischen mean compared with jetzt, mittlerweile, and in der Zwischenzeit?
  • inzwischen: by now/in the meantime, implying a development or change since an earlier point.
  • jetzt: now, purely present-time; no built‑in sense of development.
  • mittlerweile: near-synonym of inzwischen; often interchangeable; slightly more formal in some contexts.
  • in der Zwischenzeit: “in the meantime” as a prepositional phrase; a bit more bookish/longer; often used to connect two activities.
Can I place inzwischen somewhere else in the sentence?

Yes:

  • Initial (time focus): Inzwischen ist das Essen fertig.
  • Midfield (neutral): Das Essen ist inzwischen fertig.
  • Sentence-final position is uncommon and can sound awkward: avoid … fertig inzwischen in standard usage.
Why das Essen? What gender and case is it, and why is it capitalized?
  • Essen (food/meal) is neuter: das Essen.
  • It’s the subject here, so nominative case.
  • All nouns are capitalized; the verb essen (to eat) is lowercase.
Does das Essen mean the food or the act of eating?

Here it means the food/meal. Context decides:

  • Food/meal: Das Essen schmeckt gut.
  • The activity (as a noun): Beim Essen (while eating), zum Essen (for a meal). The verb is essen.
Why use fertig and not bereit?
  • fertig = finished/ready because preparation is complete (good for meals, tasks, products): Das Essen ist fertig.
  • bereit = ready to start/available/willing (typical for people/equipment): Ich bin bereit. For food, standard German prefers fertig. Note: In Swiss usage, bereit with meals is common, but in Germany fertig is the default.
What about gar, durch, or durchgegart with food?
  • gar = culinarily cooked/done: Die Kartoffeln sind gar.
  • durch / durchgegart = cooked through (no raw center).
  • fertig = ready to serve/eat. You might say: Das Steak ist gar, das Essen ist fertig.
Should I add schon or noch (nicht)? What changes?
  • schon adds “already,” often with mild surprise: Inzwischen ist das Essen schon fertig.
  • Negation usually uses noch nicht (“not yet”): Das Essen ist noch nicht fertig.
  • Plain nicht before fertig is possible but less idiomatic here; prefer noch nicht for “not ready yet.”
Can I drop the article and say Essen ist fertig!?
Yes, in informal announcements (calling people to the table) you often hear Essen ist fertig! In a neutral statement, Das Essen ist (inzwischen) fertig is more standard.
Do I need a comma after Inzwischen?
No. A single sentence-initial adverb is not followed by a comma. Commas depend on clauses, not on inzwischen itself (e.g., Als wir ankamen, war es inzwischen dunkel.).
How do I make it a question?
Invert verb and subject for a yes/no question: Ist das Essen inzwischen fertig? For a wh‑question: Wann ist das Essen fertig? / Wie lange dauert es noch, bis das Essen fertig ist?
Why doesn’t fertig have an ending here?
After sein, adjectives are predicative and take no endings: Das Essen ist fertig. Before a noun, they take endings: die fertige Suppe, ein fertiges Gericht.
Could I say Inzwischen ist das Essen fertig geworden?
Yes. … fertig geworden highlights the change/process (“has become ready”). In everyday speech, the simple state ist fertig is usually enough unless you want to stress the development.
What nuance changes if I start with the subject instead: Das Essen ist inzwischen fertig?
Starting with the subject is more neutral/topic-first. Starting with Inzwischen foregrounds the time contrast or development (“by now…”). Both are natural.
How do I pronounce the tricky parts?
  • Inzwischen: [ɪnˈtsvɪʃən] — z = [ts], w = [v], sch = [ʃ].
  • Essen: [ˈɛsən] — short e, double s = [s].
  • fertig: [ˈfɛʁtɪç] (final -ig often [ɪç]).
Could I use währenddessen or unterdessen instead of inzwischen?
  • unterdessen is a more formal synonym of “in the meantime/by then”: Unterdessen ist das Essen fertig.
  • währenddessen = “during that time” and normally refers to a specific, previously mentioned activity happening in parallel. Use it only with that context.
Where do other adverbs go with inzwischen?

Time–Manner–Place is a good guideline. Inzwischen (time) typically comes before degree words and place:

  • Das Essen ist inzwischen fast fertig.
  • Das Essen ist inzwischen in der Küche fertig.
Do I need a dummy es like Es ist das Essen fertig?
No. German doesn’t use a dummy subject here. Es ist … appears in impersonal sentences or to fill first position when nothing else is topicalized, but not before a normal subject like das Essen. Use Das Essen ist … or fronted Inzwischen ist das Essen ….