come ahora
/kome aoɾa/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'eat now' is translated into Spanish as come ahora.
This phrase is used as a command telling someone to consume food immediately.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the imperative verb come (eat) and the adverb ahora (now).
Which one should you use?
While come ahora is used for a single person in an informal setting, you should use coma ahora if you want to be polite or are speaking to a stranger or a superior. To tell a group of people to eat now, use the plural form coman ahora.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form come ahora uses the informal imperative (tú command) for the verb comer.
Did you know?
- While comer means 'to eat', in many Spanish-speaking cultures it specifically refers to the midday meal, the largest of the day.
- In some Spanish dialects, the word ahora can be used flexibly to mean 'now', 'in a moment' or even 'later', depending on the context.
- The word ahora is a linguistic contraction of the Latin phrase hāc hōrā, which literally means 'at this hour'.
Examples in context
- Coma ahora antes de que se enfríe.Eat now before it gets cold.
- ¡A comer! La comida está lista.Let's eat! The food is ready.
- ¡Come ahora, que se enfría la sopa!Eat now, the soup is getting cold!
- Come ahora, que se enfría la sopa.Eat now, the soup is getting cold.
- La comida está lista, come ahora.The food is ready, eat now.
- Come ahora para tener más energía.Eat now to have more energy.
Example conversation
Lucía is calling Javier to the dining table.
- LucíaJavier, la cena está servida.Javier, dinner is served.
- JavierYa voy, Lucía.I'm coming, Lucía.
- LucíaCome ahora, por favor.Eat now, please.
- JavierEstá bien, ya me siento.Alright, I'm sitting down now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ahora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
