almorzar
/almoɾˈθaɾ/
To eat lunch in Spanish is to almorzar.
The verb almorzar means to eat lunch. In Mexico, you might also hear the phrase Vamos a echarnos un bocado to mean "Let's grab a bite to eat".
Which one should you use?
While almorzar specifically refers to the act of eating lunch, it is distinct from comer, which can mean "to eat" in a general sense or "to eat lunch" depending on the time of day and regional context.
How does it change in a sentence?
almorzar is a stem-changing verb where the o changes to ue in many conjugations. For example, in the first-person singular almuerzo (I eat lunch / I am eating lunch), the stem change occurs. However, the o does not change to ue in the almorzamos (we eat lunch / we are eating lunch) form. Additionally, the noun for the meal itself is el almuerzo.
How do you pronounce it?
/almoɾˈθaɾ/
Did you know?
- The word almorzar originates from the Latin admordēre, which means 'to bite at'. This suggests that the meal was originally viewed as a small snack or a light bite rather than a full meal.
- The concept of almorzar is linked to the Spanish tradition of la siesta, as the midday meal is typically the largest of the day and is followed by a period of rest.
- In a professional context, a 'working lunch' is often called almuerzo de trabajo, but the timing may be much later than 12 p.m., often occurring between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Examples in context
- Él empezó a almorzar.He began to eat lunch.This sentence is useful for showing the start of the action with almorzar.Tatoeba #1702067 by marcelostockle, translation #301555 by CK
- Me gusta almorzar solo.I like to eat lunch alone.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference using almorzar.Tatoeba #13483327 by ecorralest101, translation #12316428 by CK
- No quiero almorzar ahora.I don't want to eat lunch now.This sentence is useful for expressing a lack of desire to almorzar at a specific time.Tatoeba #1698669 by marcelostockle, translation #257469 by CK
- Voy a almorzarI am going to eat lunch
- Voy a comerI am going to eat (lunch)
- Es hora del almuerzoIt's lunchtime
- Voy a almorzar a las 12I am going to eat lunch at 12 o'clock.
- ¿Ya comiste?Did you already eat?
- ¿Quieres almorzar conmigo?Do you want to have lunch with me?
- Me gusta almorzar ligeroI like to eat a light lunch
- Me encanta comer tacos en el almuerzoI love eating tacos for lunch
- 35 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two colleagues are talking in the office about their break.
- DanielElena, ¿quieres almorzar conmigo ahora?Elena, do you want to eat lunch with me now?
- ElenaSí, me encantaría almorzar contigo, Daniel.Yes, I would love to eat lunch with you, Daniel.
- DanielPerfecto, vamos a la cafetería.Perfect, let's go to the cafeteria.
- ElenaEstá bien, tengo mucha hambre.Okay, I am very hungry.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry almorzar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries almorzar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
