noun
dessert
B1
Nachspeise mainly means dessert or sweet course. It is a feminine noun: die Nachspeise, plural Nachspeisen. Common collocations: als Nachspeise essen, Nachspeise servieren. No irregular plural; declension follows regular feminine patterns. Often interchangeable with 'Dessert' in speech.
Examples
Zum Abschluss bestellten wir eine Nachspeise mit Eis und Früchten.
To finish, we ordered a dessert with ice cream and fruit.
Nach dem Essen gab es noch eine leckere Nachspeise.
After the meal, there was a delicious dessert.
Die Gäste nahmen keine Nachspeise, obwohl der Kuchen frisch war, weil sie schon satt waren.
The guests did not have a dessert although the cake was fresh because they were already full.
Details
Mnemonics
Picture a small sweet plate served after the main course — that's the Nachspeise.
think 'nach' (after) + 'spice' — the after-meal (dessert) with spice
die (feminine) — imagine a lady (die) bringing the dessert to the table.
Notes
Nachspeise is a slightly more formal word for dessert (more common in menus). You will also hear Nachtisch in colloquial speech.