Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| comer | /koˈmeɾ/ | |
| manducar | /manduˈkaɾ/ | |
| papear | /papeˈaɾ/ | |
| manyar | /manˈʝaɾ/ | Latin America |
The primary way to express the act of eating is with comer. You might also encounter other verbs depending on the specific nuance of the eating action, such as devouring food with enthusiasm or savoring flavors.
Which one should you use?
While comer is the standard verb, manducar and papear are other ways to say eat. The term manyar is specifically used as slang.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal or technical situations, you can use ingerir, which is often used in medical or scientific contexts to mean ingest. If you want to express the appreciation of flavors or the act of savoring food, the formal term degustar is appropriate. For an informal or playful tone when describing someone devouring food with great enthusiasm, use zampar.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain Latin American dialects, the slang term manyar is used. Additionally, in countries like Mexico or Argentina, the verb merendar is used specifically to mean having an afternoon snack.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gerund form of comer is comiendo.
How do you pronounce it?
/koˈmeɾ/
When do people say it?
To describe food that is particularly delicious, you can use the colloquial expression chuparse los dedos, which literally means to suck your fingers.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, comer is not just the act of eating but can refer specifically to the midday meal, which is often the main meal of the day.
- The slang term manyar is a linguistic traveler that moved from Latin to Italian as mangiare before being borrowed into Spanish.
- While 'comer' is the standard, the onomatopoeic verb papear mimics the soft sounds of eating or the sound of 'pap', a word for soft food.
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
- Es hora de comer.It's time to eat.
- Necesito comer algo ligero.I need to eat something light.
- Es importante ingerir una dieta balanceada.It is important to eat a balanced diet.
- Evita ingerir alimentos muy grasosos.Avoid eating very greasy foods.
- Me encanta degustar la cocina tradicional.I love to savor traditional cuisine.
- Vamos a comer una pizza.Let's eat a pizza.
- ¿Comemos algo rápido?Shall we grab a quick bite?
- Esta tarta está deliciosa, te dejará chupándote los dedos.This pie is delicious, it'll leave you licking your fingers.
- Cocina tan bien que todos sus platos son para chuparse los dedos.She cooks so well that all her dishes are finger-licking good.
- Me voy a zampar una hamburguesa enorme.I'm going to devour a huge burger.
- Durante la fiesta, todos se zamparon la comida en un abrir y cerrar de ojos.During the party, everyone devoured the food in the blink of an eye.
- Vamos a almorzar paella hoy.Let's have paella for lunch today.
- Es la hora de almorzar, ¿qué te apetece comer?It's lunchtime, what would you like to eat?
- Me encanta merendar galletas con té.I love to have cookies and tea for an afternoon snack.
- ¿Quién quiere merendar unos sándwiches?Who wants to have sandwiches for an afternoon snack?
- 897 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are deciding what to do for lunch.
- Daniel¿Quieres comer algo ahora?Do you want to eat something now?
- ElenaSí, tengo mucha hambre.Yes, I am very hungry.
- DanielPodemos comer en el restaurante.We can eat at the restaurant.
- ElenaMe parece bien, Daniel.That sounds good to me, Daniel.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “eat” translations and entries comer, manducar, papear, manyar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comer, manducar, manyar, papear, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
