¿qué vamos a comer?
/ˈke ˈbamos a koˈmeɾ/word by word
The English phrase "what are we eating?" is translated into Spanish as ¿qué vamos a comer?
This phrase is used to ask about the food that will be eaten in the near future.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase literally translates to "what are we going to eat?" using the periphrastic future construction.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué vamos a comer? uses the future construction, you can also use the more concise ¿qué comemos? in casual conversation. Additionally, ¿qué hay de comer? is an informal way to say "What is there to eat?"
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈke ˈbamos a koˈmeɾ/
Did you know?
- In Spain, if you ask ¿qué comemos? at 11:00 AM, you are likely asking about the 'almuerzo' or mid-morning snack, not the main meal of the day.
- The word qué shares a common ancestor with the English word 'what' and the Latin 'quid', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root *kʷid.
- While 'to eat' is comer, some regions use the verb almorzar to specifically ask about the midday meal, which can vary significantly in meaning depending on the country.
Examples in context
- Tengo hambre, ¿qué vamos a comer?I'm hungry, what are we eating?
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are in the kitchen.
- LucíaMateo, ¿qué vamos a comer?Mateo, what are we eating?
- MateoVamos a comer pasta.We are going to eat pasta.
- Lucía¡Qué rico! Me encanta la pasta.How delicious! I love pasta.
- MateoA mí también, Lucía.Me too, Lucía.
