cenar
/θeˈnaɾ/
In Spanish, the phrase for 'to eat dinner' is cenar.
The term is used to describe having the main meal of the evening.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, cenar is the primary term used to say 'to eat dinner'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In the present indicative, the first-person plural form is cenamos (we eat dinner). In the preterite tense, the first-person singular form is cené (I ate dinner).
How do you pronounce it?
/θeˈnaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb cenar shares a distant linguistic ancestor with the English word 'corner', tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'to cut' or 'to divide'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the meal called cena is intentionally light because the largest meal of the day is the comida eaten in the afternoon.
- In many parts of Spain, the concept of cenar is much later in the evening than in many English-speaking countries, often occurring after 9:00 PM or even 10:00 PM.
Examples in context
- Ya es hora de cenar.It is already time to eat dinner.This sentence shows how to state that it is time for the meal using cenar.Tatoeba #7304001 by arh, translation #7305223 by Bond21
- ¿Con quién vas a cenar?Who are you going to eat dinner with?This question is useful for asking whom someone is going to eat dinner with using cenar.Tatoeba #1385678 by Shishir, translation #1047230 by CK
- ¿Con quién piensas cenar?Who do you plan to eat dinner with?This question is useful for asking whom someone plans to eat dinner with using cenar.Tatoeba #1369994 by marcelostockle, translation #1047229 by CK
- ¿Podría recomendarme algún lugar donde cenar?Could you recommend me a place to have dinner?
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Javier are at home in the evening.
- María¿A qué hora quieres cenar?What time do you want to eat dinner?
- JavierPodemos cenar a las ocho.We can eat dinner at eight.
- MaríaPerfecto, yo preparo algo rico.Perfect, I will prepare something delicious.
- JavierGracias, María, eres muy amable.Thanks, María, you are very kind.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cenar, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cenar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
