¿comiste hoy?
The Spanish phrase for "did you eat today?" is ¿comiste hoy?
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone has had a meal yet on the current day.
Which one should you use?
¿comiste hoy? uses the preterite (past simple) to ask about a completed action, whereas ¿has comido hoy? uses the present perfect. The latter is more common in Spain to ask about recent actions in a timeframe that includes the present.
How does it change in a sentence?
If you are speaking to someone in a formal context or to an elder, use the third-person singular form ¿comió hoy? instead of the informal ¿comiste hoy?
When do people say it?
A common way to respond to this question affirmatively is Sí, ya comí (Yes, I already ate), while a natural way to say "No, not yet" is No, todavía no.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿comiste? is often used as a way to show affection or care, similar to saying 'I love you' or 'I am thinking of you'.
- The word hoy is a linguistic survivor from the Latin word hodiē, which was a combination of 'hac' (this) and 'die' (day).
- If someone asks you ¿comiste? and you answer 'No', it is culturally polite to immediately follow up with a suggestion to eat together or offer food, rather than just leaving the question answered.
Examples in context
- No te preocupes, ¿comiste hoy?Don't worry, did you eat today?
- Dime la verdad, ¿comiste hoy?Tell me the truth, did you eat today?
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are meeting at the library.
- LucíaHola Daniel, ¿comiste hoy?Hi Daniel, did you eat today?
- DanielNo, todavía no he tenido tiempo.No, I haven't had time yet.
- LucíaYo tengo comida extra aquí.I have extra food here.
- DanielMuchas gracias, Lucía.Thank you very much, Lucía.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hoy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
