que aproveche
/ke apɾoˈbet͡ʃe/
The English phrase "enjoy the food" is translated into Spanish as que aproveche.
que aproveche is used to wish someone a pleasant meal before they begin eating. It is common for a host to say this to their guests, but it is also used by a person passing by a table of people who are already eating.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, que aproveche means "may it benefit (you/them/us)".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the expression ¡Provecho! is a shortened version of ¡Buen provecho! In Argentina, you can say ¡Que lo/las disfruten! to say "enjoy the food".
How does it change in a sentence?
To address a group of people, use the plural form que aprovechen instead of que aproveche.
How do you pronounce it?
/ke apɾoˈbetʃe/
When do people say it?
The standard response to someone saying que aproveche is gracias.
Did you know?
- While que aproveche wishes for the food to be nutritious and beneficial, it is sometimes used ironically in Spain to comment on someone's greed or overeating.
- The word que in this phrase shares a common ancestor with the English word 'who', descending from the same Proto-Indo-European root.
- In some traditional settings, saying ¡Buen provecho! before the host has started eating or given a signal can be seen as impatient or slightly impolite.
Examples in context
- Que aproveche.Enjoy the food.
- Muchas gracias, ¡que aproveche!Thank you, enjoy your meal!
Example conversation
Lucía serves a plate of pasta to Mateo at a restaurant.
- LucíaAquí tienes tu pasta, que aproveche.Here is your pasta, enjoy the food.
- MateoMuchas gracias, Lucía.Thank you very much, Lucía.
- LucíaDe nada, buen provecho.You're welcome, enjoy your meal.
- MateoSe ve muy buena.It looks very good.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry que aproveche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
