¿qué comes?
The English phrase "what do you eat?" is translated into Spanish as ¿qué comes?
This question is used to ask someone about the food they are currently eating or their general eating habits. If you want to be more specific about what someone is eating at this exact moment, you would use ¿qué estás comiendo? instead.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 'qué' (what), 'comes' (you eat) and the opening question mark.
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué comes? can refer to general habits, ¿qué estás comiendo? is more specifically used to ask what someone is eating at this exact moment.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to someone in a formal or respectful context, use ¿qué come usted? instead of ¿qué comes? If you are asking a group of people "what do you eat?", use the third-person plural form ¿qué comen?
Did you know?
- The phrase comerse el coco literally means 'to eat one's coconut' but is used to describe someone who is overthinking or worrying too much.
- In many countries, comer acts as a synonym for having lunch, so ¿qué comes? often specifically refers to the midday meal.
- While ¿qué comes? focuses on eating, Spanish uses a completely different verb, desayunar, to refer specifically to eating breakfast. It is culturally uncommon to use the verb 'to eat' to describe the first meal of the day.
Examples in context
- Buenos días, ¿qué come usted para el desayuno?Good morning, what do you eat for breakfast?
- Hola, ¿qué comes para la cena?Hello, what do you eat for dinner?
- Veo que tienes algo rico, ¿qué comes?I see you have something tasty, what are you eating?
