kumain
/kuˈmaʔin/
The Filipino word for "eat" is kumain.
kumain is a verb used to describe the act of eating a meal.
Meaning: eat a meal (verb)
How does it change in a sentence?
The form kumain is used for both the infinitive and the past tense (ate). For the future tense (will eat), use kakain and for the present progressive (is eating), use kumakain. Additionally, the term makakain means being able to eat.
How do you pronounce it?
/kuˈmaʔin/
When do people say it?
A common social custom in the Philippines is to use the phrase Kain tayo! to invite others to join you for a meal.
Did you know?
- In the Philippines, saying Kain tayo! is often a polite social gesture rather than a literal invitation to share a meal. It is similar to saying 'hello' and does not always require the other person to actually eat.
- The infix -um- found in kumain is a classic example of how Filipino verbs indicate the actor, a grammatical feature quite different from English conjugation.
- While kumain is the general word for eating, Filipinos have a specific word lamon for eating greedily or stuffing oneself, which carries a much stronger connotation than 'overeating'.
Examples in context
- Di mo ba gustong kumain?Wouldn't you like to eat?This sentence shows how to use kumain in a question about wanting to eat.Tatoeba #1848437 by nonong, translation #419692 by Alkrasnov
- Lumabas siya para kumain.He went out to eat.This sentence uses kumain to describe an action taken for the purpose of eating.Tatoeba #11731545 by qwertzu, translation #507997 by CM
- Gusto kong kumain ng isteyk.I want to eat steak.This sentence demonstrates using kumain to express a desire to eat a specific food.Tatoeba #1869548 by nonong, translation #1869545 by Spamster
- Tara, kain tayo sa bagong restaurant malapit dito.Come on, let's eat at the new restaurant nearby.
- Kumain ka na ba?Have you eaten already?
- Kain tayo!Let's eat!
- Anong gusto mong kainin?What do you want to eat?
- Kumain na ako ng agahan.I already had breakfast.
- Natikman ko na ang mga espesyalidad ng lugar na ito.I've already tasted the specialties of this place.
- 61 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Christina and Juan are deciding on lunch plans at the office.
- ChristinaJuan, gusto mo bang kumain ng tanghalian?Juan, do you want to eat lunch?
- JuanSige, gutom na rin ako.Sure, I am hungry too.
- ChristinaSaan tayo pupunta para kumain?Where are we going to eat?
- JuanSa malapit na kainan na lang.Let's just go to the nearby eatery.
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.
