¿qué comiste hoy?
To ask what did you eat today? In Spanish, say ¿qué comiste hoy?
¿qué comiste hoy? is a casual question to someone you call tú about the food they have had today.
Which one should you use?
In Spain the present perfect ¿qué has comido hoy? is more common for recent actions within the same day. You may also hear the same question about lunch or dinner.
How does it change in a sentence?
comiste is the preterite, treating the eating as a finished action in the past.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the word comer refers specifically to eating lunch, the main meal of the day, rather than the general act of eating.
- Spanish has a specific word, merienda, for the mid-afternoon snack, meaning ¿qué comiste hoy? might be answered with a meal that does not exist in standard English culture.
- While 'what did you eat' is a simple query, in many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking about someone's meal is a common way to show care and affection rather than just gathering information.
Examples in context
- Buenas tardes, señor García. ¿Qué ha comido hoy?Good afternoon, Mr. García. What did you eat today?
- Disculpe, señora Rodríguez. ¿Qué ha comido hoy?Excuse me, Mrs. Rodríguez. What did you eat today?
- Hola Juan, ¿qué comiste hoy?Hi Juan, what did you eat today?
- Oye, Carmen. ¿Qué comiste hoy en el almuerzo?Hey, Carmen. What did you eat for lunch today?
- Dime, ¿qué comiste hoy?Tell me, what did you eat today?
Example conversation
Daniel and María are talking in the kitchen during dinner.
- DanielMaría, ¿qué comiste hoy?María, what did you eat today?
- MaríaComí una ensalada muy rica.I ate a very delicious salad.
- Daniel¡Qué bien! Yo comí pasta.That's great! I ate pasta.
- MaríaLa pasta también es muy buena.Pasta is also very good.
