almuerzo y cena
/almweɾθo i θena/from spelling rules
The phrase "lunch and dinner" in Spanish is almuerzo y cena.
This phrase refers to the two main meals eaten during the middle of the day and in the evening. To distinguish these from other meal times, you might use desayuno for breakfast, merienda for a light afternoon snack or meal and tentempié or bocadillo to refer to a snack.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many parts of Spain, the phrase comida y cena is more common than almuerzo y cena when referring to the main midday and evening meals.
How do you pronounce it?
/almweɾθo i θena/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the comida (the midday meal) is the largest and most important meal of the day, often lasting several hours and delaying cena until late in the evening.
- The word almuerzo shares a common ancestor with the English word 'morsel' via the Latin word 'mordere', meaning 'to bite'.
- In some Spanish-speaking countries, an almuerzo can actually refer to a light breakfast or a mid-morning snack rather than a heavy midday meal.
Examples in context
- ¿Qué te gustaría para el almuerzo?What would you like for lunch?
- ¿Dónde podemos almorzar?Where can we have lunch?
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are planning their weekly budget.
- MateoElena, ¿cuánto gastamos en el almuerzo y cena?Elena, how much do we spend on lunch and dinner?
- ElenaGastamos unos cincuenta euros a la semana.We spend about fifty euros a week.
- MateoEs un precio razonable para nosotros.It is a reasonable price for us.
- ElenaSí, Mateo, podemos mantener ese presupuesto.Yes, Mateo, we can keep that budget.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries almuerzo, cena, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
