Portuguese · Everyday Verbs
"to eat" in Portuguese: comer
comer
To eat in Portuguese is comer (koh-MEHR). It is a regular -er verb: eu como (I eat), você come (you eat), nós comemos (we eat). For meals, Portuguese often uses its own verbs instead, like almoçar (to have lunch) and jantar (to have dinner).
Describing your routine
Eu como uma fruta todo dia de manhã.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce comer
Say it
koh-MEHR
/koˈmeʁ/
Stress the last syllable: koh-MEHR. In much of Brazil the final r is a soft h, and in relaxed speech it almost disappears: koh-MEH. In eu como the stress moves to the front: KOH-moo.
"to eat" in Portuguese: quick reference
| Portuguese | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| comer | to eat The general verb for eating anything. | The general verb for eating anything. |
| almoçar | to have lunch Used instead of comer o almoço: Vamos almoçar? | Used instead of comer o almoço: Vamos almoçar? |
| jantar | to have dinner Also the noun o jantar (dinner). | Also the noun o jantar (dinner). |
| tomar café da manhã | to have breakfast Brazil. PT-PT: tomar o pequeno-almoço. | Brazil. PT-PT: tomar o pequeno-almoço. |
| lanchar | to have a snack Common in Brazil for a light afternoon or evening bite. | Common in Brazil for a light afternoon or evening bite. |
How to use comer in real life
- 1Describing your routine
Eu como uma fruta todo dia de manhã.
I eat a piece of fruit every morning.
Todo dia (every day) is the usual Brazilian form. In Portugal you'll hear todos os dias.
- 2Checking on a roommate
Você já comeu? Tem pão de queijo na cozinha.
Have you eaten yet? There's pão de queijo in the kitchen.
Comeu is the past form for você. In spoken Brazil, tem also means "there is".
- 3Making dinner plans
Vamos comer fora hoje? Estou com preguiça de cozinhar.
Shall we eat out tonight? I can't be bothered to cook.
Comer fora means to eat out. Estar com preguiça is to feel too lazy to do something.
Mistakes English speakers make with comer
Incorrect: Eu comer muito arroz.
Correct: Eu como muito arroz.
Comer is only the dictionary form. With eu, the verb ends in -o: eu como.
Incorrect: Vamos comer o almoço ao meio-dia.
Correct: Vamos almoçar ao meio-dia.
Portuguese has a verb for each main meal. Almoçar already means "to have lunch", so you don't need comer.
Good to know
In Brazil, lunch is usually the biggest meal of the day, often rice, beans, a meat, and salad. Dinner tends to be lighter, and some families just have a lanche in the evening, like bread, cheese, and coffee. Before anyone starts, you will often hear Bom apetite!
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Describing your weekday routine to a new friend
ChatPal
Durante a semana, você come em casa ou no trabalho?
During the week, do you eat at home or at work?
You
No trabalho. Normalmente eu como num restaurante por quilo perto do escritório.
At work. I usually eat at a pay-by-weight restaurant near the office.
ChatPal
Que prático! E à noite, você janta tarde?
How practical! And at night, do you have dinner late?
You
Não muito. Janto por volta das oito e depois vejo uma série.
Not really. I have dinner around eight and then watch a series.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"to eat" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "to eat" in Portuguese
How do you conjugate comer in the present tense?
Eu como, você come, ele/ela come, nós comemos, vocês comem, eles/elas comem. In Portugal, friends also use tu comes.
What is the past tense of comer?
For a finished action, use eu comi (I ate) and você comeu (you ate). Você já comeu? (Have you eaten yet?) is a very common, caring question in Brazil.
Do Brazil and Portugal use comer the same way?
The verb is the same, but the -ing form is different. Brazil says estou comendo (I'm eating), while Portugal says estou a comer. Breakfast also changes: café da manhã in Brazil, pequeno-almoço in Portugal.
How do you say "Let's eat!" in Portuguese?
Say Vamos comer! When the food is on the table, a host may also say A comida está na mesa! (Food's on the table!), and everyone wishes each other Bom apetite!
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