desayuno
/desaˈʝuno/
desayuno is the Spanish word for breakfast.
desayuno refers to the first meal of the day eaten after waking up. In natural conversation, Spanish speakers often prefer to use the verb desayunar (to eat breakfast) to express the action of having the meal, rather than using the noun.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word desayuno is versatile: it can function as the noun meaning 'breakfast' or as the first-person singular present indicative form of the verb desayunar, meaning 'I eat breakfast'.
How do you pronounce it?
/desaˈʝuno/
Did you know?
- The word desayuno literally translates to 'un-fast' because it contains the prefix 'des-' (meaning 'undo' or 'un') and 'ayuno' (meaning 'fast').
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, the desayuno is followed by a second, smaller mid-morning snack called almuerzo. This can cause confusion because almuerzo is also the word for 'lunch' in other regions.
- In Spain, a typical desayuno may consist of just a coffee and a tostada con tomate, which is toasted bread rubbed with fresh tomato and olive oil.
Examples in context
- Por favor, ¿cuál es el horario del desayuno en este hotel?Please, what is the breakfast schedule at this hotel?
- ¿Quieres desayunar conmigo mañana? Podemos tomar un café juntos.Do you want to have breakfast with me tomorrow? We can have coffee together.
- El desayuno es la comida más importante del día.Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
- El desayuno está listo.Breakfast is ready.
- ¿Qué quieres para el desayuno?What do you want for breakfast?
- No tengo tiempo para el desayuno.I don't have time for breakfast.
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are in the kitchen in the morning.
- AlejandroBuenos días, Lucía. ¿Quieres desayuno?Good morning, Lucía. Do you want breakfast?
- LucíaSí, por favor. ¿Qué hay?Yes, please. What is there?
- AlejandroTengo fruta y café para el desayuno.I have fruit and coffee for breakfast.
- LucíaSuena perfecto, gracias Alejandro.That sounds perfect, thank you Alejandro.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry desayuno, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desayuno, CC BY-SA 4.0.
