What does it mean word for word?
The phrase hora de comer literally translates to "hour of to eat".
How does it change in a sentence?
You can add the definite article la before the phrase to make it more specific, such as la hora de comer, which means "the time to eat" (the scheduled time). You can also substitute the verb to specify a meal: use hora de almorzar for lunchtime or hora de cenar for dinnertime.
How do you pronounce it?
/oɾa de komeɾ/
When do people say it?
When announcing a meal, it is common to use informal calls like ¡A comer! (let's eat), ¡A desayunar! (time for breakfast), ¡A almorzar/comer! (time for lunch) or ¡A cenar! (time for dinner). It is also customary to say ¡Buen provecho! to wish others a good meal, or to combine the call to eat with the wish: ¡A comer! ¡Buen provecho! (Let's eat! Enjoy your meal!).
Did you know?
- While English speakers say 'enjoy your meal', Spanish speakers use buen provecho, which literally wishes the eater 'good profit' from the nutrients in the food.
- In some cultures, it is considered polite to say buen provecho to strangers as you walk past their table in a restaurant, even if you are not dining with them.
- The word hora shares a common ancestor with the English word 'hour', both tracing back to the Latin 'hōra' and Ancient Greek 'hṓrā'.
Examples in context
- ¿Es hora de comer?Is it time to eat?This sentence is useful for asking if it is currently the time to eat using hora de comer.Tatoeba #4762585 by DarkHollow, translation #2891418 by CK
- Es ya hora de comer.It's time to eat now.This sentence is useful for stating that it is now the time to eat using hora de comer.Tatoeba #6591675 by arh, translation #8160968 by magnificentgoddess
- Ya es hora de comer.It is already time to eat.This sentence is useful for stating that it is already the time to eat using hora de comer.Tatoeba #7304000 by arh, translation #7305222 by Bond21
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple in the kitchen preparing for lunch.
- AlejandroElena, ya es hora de comer.Elena, it is time to eat.
- ElenaSí, Alejandro, la comida está lista.Yes, Alejandro, the food is ready.
- Alejandro¡Qué rico huele todo!Everything smells delicious!
- Elena¡Buen provecho!Enjoy your meal!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries comer, de, hora, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
