kumain
/kuˈmaʔin/
The Tagalog word for ate is kumain.
kumain is used to describe the action of consuming food in the past tense.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word kumain is used for both the past and the present tense of 'to eat' in many contexts, as the aspect is often determined by particles or context. To express the progressive aspect (is eating), the first syllable of the root is reduplicated and the infix -um- is used, resulting in kumakain. To express the future tense (will eat), the first syllable of the root is reduplicated, resulting in kakain.
How do you pronounce it?
/kuˈmaʔin/
Did you know?
- While kumain means 'ate', the word ate is also a common Tagalog term used to address an older sister or any slightly older woman as a sign of respect.
- When asking if someone has eaten, Filipinos often use the phrase kumain ka na?, which functions more as a greeting like 'hello' than a literal question about hunger.
- The infix '-um-' used in kumain is a classic example of how Tagalog builds verbs by inserting syllables into the middle of a word rather than adding a prefix or suffix.
Examples in context
- Kumain ako ng keso.I ate some cheese.This sentence is useful for showing how to say you ate some cheese using kumain.Tatoeba #11463442 by qwertzu, translation #5858557 by CK
- Kumain siya sa labas.He ate out.This sentence is useful for showing how to say someone ate out using kumain.Tatoeba #11731543 by qwertzu, translation #2764250 by CK
- Kumain ako ng kamatis.I ate a tomato.This sentence is useful for showing how to say you ate a tomato using kumain.Tatoeba #13891812 by qwertzu, translation #12060432 by ddnktr
- Kumusta, ate? Tara na, malapit na mag-umpisa ang pelikula.Hey, ate! Let's go, the movie is about to start.
- Ate Sarah, pasyal tayo sa bagong mall na binuksan sa kanto natin.Ate Sarah, let's visit the new mall that opened in our neighborhood.
- Ate, gusto sana kitang ipakilala sa mga kaibigan ko.Ate, I would like to introduce you to my friends.
- Ate, maraming salamat po sa tulong ninyo.Thank you very much, ate, for your help.
- Wow, ate! Ang galing mo talaga kumanta!Wow, ate! You're really good at singing!
- 39 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their lunch at a cafe.
- JasmineKumain ka na ba?Have you eaten yet?
- MarkOo, kumain na ako.Yes, I already ate.
- JasmineSaan ka kumain?Where did you eat?
- MarkKumain ako sa kabilang kainan.I ate at the eatery next door.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry kumain, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kumain, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
