Spanish · Everyday Verbs

"to eat" in Spanish: comer

comer

Say it: koh-MEHR / KOH-mohverb/ko.ˈmeɾ/, /ˈko.mo/

To eat in Spanish is comer. Present forms beginners need are como, comes, and come. Comer is a regular -er verb, so the pattern stays steady.

At lunch

Como arroz con frijoles casi siempre.
I eat rice and beans almost always.
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How to pronounce comer

Say it

koh-MEHR / KOH-moh

/ko.ˈmeɾ/, /ˈko.mo/

Comer is koh-MEHR. Como is KOH-moh. Comes is KOH-mehs.

"to eat" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
comerto eat

Dictionary form.

comoI eat

First-person present.

comes / comeyou eat / he-she eats

Questions and habits.

comemos / comenwe eat / they eat

Plural; ustedes comen.

comidafood / meal

Related noun from the same family.

How to use comer in real life

  1. 1At lunch

    Como arroz con frijoles casi siempre.

    I eat rice and beans almost always.

    Como states a habit.

  2. 2Asking a friend

    ¿Comes carne o prefieres verduras?

    Do you eat meat or prefer vegetables?

    Comes is the tú form.

  3. 3Making plans

    Queremos comer temprano hoy.

    We want to eat early today.

    Comer stays infinitive after queremos.

Mistakes English speakers make with comer

Incorrect: Yo comer pizza.

Correct: Yo como pizza.

Conjugate comer: yo como.

Incorrect: Como la hambre.

Correct: Tengo hambre. / Quiero comer.

Hunger is tengo hambre, not como.

Good to know

Meal times vary by country, but comer still names the act of eating. In many places the big midday meal is el almuerzo, and people still say vamos a comer.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing lunch near campus

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Qué comes normalmente aquí?

    What do you usually eat here?

  2. You

    Como tacos o una ensalada.

    I eat tacos or a salad.

  3. ChatPal

    Hoy yo como sopa. ¿Vienes?

    Today I'm eating soup. Are you coming?

  4. You

    Sí. Quiero comer algo ligero.

    Yes. I want to eat something light.

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"to eat" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "to eat" in Spanish

How do I conjugate comer in the present?

Como, comes, come, comemos, comen.

Is comida the same as comer?

No. Comer is the verb. Comida means food or a meal.

How do I say let's eat?

Vamos a comer is common and clear.

How do you pronounce come?

KOH-meh. Soft final e, not like English come.

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