What does it mean word for word?
The phrase breaks down literally as la comida (the food), está (is), muy (very) and buena (good).
Which one should you use?
There is a subtle distinction between using the verb está and es. Using la comida está muy buena refers specifically to the taste of the meal you are currently eating. In contrast, saying la comida es muy buena implies that the food is generally good as a permanent characteristic of the establishment.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Different regions have their own preferred ways to express this. In Mexico, you may hear La comida está sabrosa to say the food is tasty, while in Argentina, La comida está rica is used to say the food is delicious.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using this phrase, the adjective must agree with the noun. Because comida is a feminine noun, the adjective buena must end in -a.
When do people say it?
In many Spanish-speaking regions, it is very common to use the adjective rico/a instead of bueno/a to describe delicious food, such as saying está muy rico or está muy rica.
Did you know?
- In some contexts, saying está bueno about a person can be a flirtatious way to call them attractive rather than a comment on their character.
- While comida generally means 'food', in Mexico the word comida can specifically refer to the main meal of the day eaten in the afternoon.
- The word muy is a direct descendant of the Latin multum, which is the root of the English word 'multitude'.
Examples in context
- La comida está deliciosa. ¿Qué ingredientes usaron?The food is delicious. What ingredients did they use?
- ¡La comida está riquísima! Tenemos que venir aquí más seguido.The food is extremely tasty! We have to come here more often.
- ¡Esto está para chuparse los dedos! No puedo creer lo sabroso que es.This is finger-licking good! I can't believe how tasty it is.
- ¡Mmm, está buenísimo este postre! No puedo resistirme a otro bocado.Mmm, this dessert is really good! I can't resist another bite.
- La comida está rica. Los argentinos saben cocinar muy bien.The food is delicious. Argentinians know how to cook very well.
- Gracias, la comida está muy buena.Thank you, the food is very good.
- ¡Qué sorpresa! La comida está muy buena.What a surprise! The food is very good.
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are having dinner at a restaurant.
- Sofía¿Te gusta tu plato, Daniel?Do you like your dish, Daniel?
- DanielSí, la comida está muy buena.Yes, the food is very good.
- SofíaMe alegra mucho escucharlo.I am very glad to hear that.
- DanielDeberíamos volver pronto.We should come back soon.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comida, la, muy, CC BY-SA 4.0.
