noun
groceries, foodstuffs
A1
Lebensmittel: neuter noun meaning 'groceries' or 'foodstuffs'. Commonly used for items you buy to eat. Plural identical to singular (die Lebensmittel) — no -s; declension shows same plural forms. Countable in context but often treated as mass noun. Gender: das. Common.
Examples
Im Supermarkt kaufe ich alle Lebensmittel für die Woche.
At the supermarket, I buy all the groceries for the week.
Die Gemeinde spendete Lebensmittel, weil viele Familien Hilfe benötigten.
The community donated groceries because many families needed help.
Ich kaufe Lebensmittel im Supermarkt.
I buy groceries at the supermarket.
Details
Mnemonics
Imagine a shopping bag full of food labelled 'Lebensmittel'.
Think 'life' (Leben) + 'mittel' (means/medium) → things for life = groceries.
Neuter 'das' — imagine a grocery bag with a label 'das'.
Notes
Often used in plural to refer to items you buy in a shop. Plural form identical: 'Lebensmittel'.