Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| comer | /koˈmeɾ/ | |
| manducar | /manduˈkaɾ/ | |
| papear | /papeˈaɾ/ | |
| manyar | /manˈʝaɾ/ | Latin America |
The verb refers to the act of eating a meal.
Which one should you use?
While comer is the standard verb for eating a meal, manyar is a slangy, colloquial alternative used in certain Latin American contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The verb comer is the most common and general way to say 'eat'. For more formal medical or scientific contexts, you might use ingerir (to ingest).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the verb morfar is used informally to mean 'to eat'. In Spain, it is common to use the verb cenar when referring specifically to the act of having dinner.
How does it change in a sentence?
The first-person singular present indicative form of comer is como (I eat). The first-person singular preterite or past tense form is comí (I ate). To express a continuous action, use the gerund comiendo (eating).
How do you pronounce it?
/koˈmeɾ/
When do people say it?
The colloquial expression chuparse los dedos (literally 'to lick your fingers') is used to express how delicious something tastes.
Did you know?
- The phrase comerse el coco is a common idiom in Spain that means to overthink something or worry excessively, rather than actually eating.
- The phrase comer is often used as a euphemism in romantic or sexual contexts in various Spanish-speaking countries.
- The term comer can be used to describe a loss in a game, such as when a chess piece is captured.
Examples in context
- No vas a comer.You're not going to eat.Tatoeba #4767299 by cueyayotl, translation #4767440 by rebeccadeho
- Te voy a comer.I'm gonna eat you.Tatoeba #9993364 by arh, translation #11324247 by Luornu
- Me voy a comer.I'm about to eat.Tatoeba #12892824 by ecorralest101, translation #3665189 by CK
- Por favor, come algoPlease, eat something
- Es importante ingerir alimentos saludablesIt is important to eat healthy food
- Vamos a comer pizzaLet's eat pizza
- Esta comida está para chuparse los dedosThis food is finger-licking good
- ¿Quedamos para cenar?Shall we meet for dinner?
- Es importante alimentarse bienIt is important to eat well
- ¿Quieres comer en casa hoy?Do you want to eat at home today?
- Vamos a comer helado después del almuerzo.Let's eat ice cream after lunch.
- Me encanta la comida mexicana, podría comer tacos todos los días.I love Mexican food, I could eat tacos every day.
- No tengo hambre, no voy a comer nada por ahora.I'm not hungry, I'm not going to eat anything for now.
- ¡Qué rico está este pastel! Me chupo los dedos.This cake is delicious! It's finger-licking good.
- 897 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are deciding what to do for lunch.
- Javier¿Quieres comer conmigo, Sofía?Do you want to eat with me, Sofía?
- SofíaSí, tengo mucha hambre.Yes, I am very hungry.
- JavierPerfecto, vamos a comer ahora.Perfect, let's eat now.
- SofíaMe parece muy bien.That sounds great to me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries comer, manducar, papear, manyar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
