comida echada a perder
/komida et͡ʃada a peɾdeɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase "spoiled food" is translated into Spanish as comida echada a perder.
The phrase refers to food that has gone bad and is no longer safe to eat. Other ways to express this idea include comida en mal estado to describe food in a bad state or comida descompuesta to describe food that has decomposed or gone bad.
Which one should you use?
You might use comida en mal estado as a common alternative or comida descompuesta specifically for food that has undergone decomposition.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to use Comida estropeada for spoiled food and Alimentos en descomposición to describe food that is decomposing. In Mexico, Comida echada a perder is a common phrase and Comida en mal estado is also used to describe food in poor condition.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the phrase comida echada a perder, the feminine singular participle echada is used to agree with the feminine singular noun comida.
Did you know?
- The English word 'perdition', often used in a religious sense to describe eternal damnation, shares the same Latin root as the Spanish verb perder used in this phrase.
- While an English speaker says food is 'spoiled', a Spanish speaker might say it is echada a perder, which translates literally to 'thrown to lose'.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, echada a perder is not just for food but can describe a ruined plan or a spoiled relationship.
Examples in context
- Esta comida está echada a perder, ¿podría cambiármela, por favor?This food is spoiled, could you please replace it?
- No comas eso, está podrido.Don't eat that, it's rotten.
- Esta comida está estropeada, hay que tirarla.This food is spoiled, we need to throw it away.
- Estos alimentos están en mal estado, mejor no los consumas.These foods are in poor condition, it's better not to consume them.
- No comas esa comida echada a perder.Don't eat that spoiled food.
- Hay mucha comida echada a perder en la nevera.There is a lot of spoiled food in the fridge.
- Tira la comida echada a perder de inmediato.Throw away the spoiled food immediately.
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are checking the leftovers in the kitchen.
- Mateo¿Huele mal la carne?Does the meat smell bad?
- SofíaSí, es comida echada a perder.Yes, it is spoiled food.
- MateoDebí revisar la fecha de vencimiento.I should have checked the expiration date.
- SofíaNo te preocupes, Mateo, yo la tiraré.Don't worry, Mateo, I will throw it away.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, comida, perder, CC BY-SA 4.0.
