comiendo
/komjendo/from spelling rules
comiendo is the Spanish word for eating.
comiendo describes the act of consuming food. If you want to speak about the more formal or medical concept of nourishing oneself or feeding, you should use the verb alimentarse instead.
Meaning: the act of consuming food (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain and some Latin American countries, such as Argentina and Uruguay, the verb merendar is used specifically to refer to having an afternoon snack. In many other Spanish-speaking countries, including Mexico and Colombia, the verb cenar is commonly used to refer to having dinner or eating the last meal of the day.
How does it change in a sentence?
comiendo is the gerund form of the verb comer (to eat).
How do you pronounce it?
/komjendo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
When trying to say someone 'is eating', English speakers often mistakenly use the infinitive comer instead of the gerund comiendo.
Did you know?
- The phrase comer por los ojos describes the experience of being attracted to food because it looks delicious, literally meaning 'eating with the eyes'.
- In Spanish, the verb comer is often used as a synonym for 'lunch'. If someone asks if you want to comer, they are likely inviting you to the main meal of the day rather than just any act of eating.
- In some contexts, using the reflexive comerse instead of comer implies that the person is eating the whole thing or eating greedily.
Examples in context
- Tom no está comiendo.Tom isn't eating.This sentence uses comiendo to describe a person not eating.Tatoeba #9703950 by stormy_clau, translation #2236964 by CK
- El gato está comiendo.The cat is eating.This sentence uses comiendo to describe an animal eating.Tatoeba #1072581 by hayastan, translation #1000828 by riccioberto
- Está comiendo una pera.She's eating a pear.This sentence uses comiendo to describe someone eating a fruit.Tatoeba #5030349 by don_ramon, translation #2587317 by Hybrid
- Estoy comiendo una deliciosa ensalada.I am eating a delicious salad.
- Quisiera comer algo ligero para la cena.I would like to eat something light for dinner.
- Comimos en un restaurante elegante.We ate at a fancy restaurant.
- Es importante alimentarse adecuadamente.It is important to eat properly.
- Debemos aprender a alimentarnos de forma balanceada.We need to learn to eat in a balanced way.
- ¡Estoy comiendo una pizza deliciosa!I'm eating a delicious pizza!
- Vamos a la cocina, ¿quieres algo para ir comiendo?Let's go to the kitchen, do you want something to snack on?
- Voy a merendar unas galletas con té.I'm going to have some cookies and tea for my afternoon snack.
- ¿Quieres merendar conmigo? Podemos preparar sándwiches.Do you want to have an afternoon snack with me? We can make some sandwiches.
- ¿Qué vas a cenar hoy? Yo voy a preparar pasta.What are you having for dinner today? I'm going to make pasta.
- Cenamos comida china todos los viernes.We have Chinese food for dinner every Friday.
- 215 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are in the kitchen.
- Elena¿Qué estás comiendo, Daniel?What are you eating, Daniel?
- DanielEstoy comiendo una manzana roja.I am eating a red apple.
- ElenaParece muy rica esa manzana.That apple looks very tasty.
- DanielSí, quiero seguir comiendo más.Yes, I want to keep eating more.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
