desayunar
/desaʝuˈnaɾ/
The Spanish phrase for 'to eat breakfast' is desayunar.
This verb describes the act of consuming a meal in the early morning after waking up.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb in the first-person singular present indicative, 'I eat breakfast' is desayuno. To express the past tense 'I ate breakfast', use the preterite form desayuné.
How do you pronounce it?
/desaʝuˈnaɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid saying desayunar el desayuno. Because desayunar already means 'to eat breakfast', adding the noun 'el desayuno' is redundant and is a common error for English speakers.
Did you know?
- The verb desayunar actually has its roots in the word for 'to fast'. It is formed by the prefix 'des-' meaning 'undo' and 'ayunar' meaning 'to fast', literally translating to 'to un-fast'.
- In Spain, a typical desayuno often involves dipping bread or toast directly into coffee or chocolate, a common habit that may seem unusual to other cultures.
- The Spanish desayunar is a close relative of the French déjeuner, though in modern French, déjeuner refers to lunch instead of breakfast.
Examples in context
- ¿No vas a desayunar?Aren't you going to eat breakfast?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is going to eat breakfast using desayunar.Tatoeba #4375589 by pchamorro, translation #3154892 by CK
- ¿Cuánto sueles tardar en desayunar?How much time does it usually take you to eat breakfast?This sentence is useful for asking about the duration of the time spent to eat breakfast using desayunar.Tatoeba #1831919 by Shishir, translation #1830615 by CK
- Esta mañana no he tenido tiempo de desayunar.I didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning.This sentence is useful for stating that you did not have time to eat breakfast using desayunar.Tatoeba #1831929 by Shishir, translation #1830604 by CK
- Señor García, ¿ha desayunado ya?Mr. García, have you already had breakfast?
- ¡Vamos a desayunar juntos!Let's have breakfast together!
- Si no meto algo al estómago, no puedo empezar el día.If I don't put something in my stomach, I can't start the day.
- ¿Qué desayunaste hoy?What did you eat for breakfast today?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are in the kitchen on a weekday morning.
- Daniel¿Quieres desayunar algo conmigo?Do you want to eat breakfast with me?
- SofíaSí, tengo mucha hambre.Yes, I am very hungry.
- DanielVoy a preparar café para los dos.I am going to prepare coffee for both of us.
- SofíaGracias, Daniel, eres muy amable.Thank you, Daniel, you are very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry desayunar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desayunar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
