¿qué quieres desayunar?
The English phrase "what do you want for breakfast?" is translated into Spanish as ¿qué quieres desayunar?
This phrase is used to ask someone what food or drink they would like to eat for their first meal of the day. The phrase relies on the verb desayunar, which means "to have breakfast".
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿qué quieres desayunar? is composed of qué (what), quieres (you want) and desayunar (to breakfast or to eat breakfast).
Which one should you use?
While ¿qué quieres desayunar? is the informal way to ask the question, you can also use the colloquial phrase ¿Qué te apetece desayunar? For formal situations, use ¿Qué desea para el desayuno? or ¿Qué quiere desayunar?
How does it change in a sentence?
To use the formal version of "you" when asking this question, change the verb quieres to quiere, resulting in ¿qué quiere desayunar?
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the meal requested with ¿qué quieres desayunar? is often divided into a light early snack and a second, more substantial 'breakfast' around 11:00 am.
- The verb desayunar literally means 'to break the fast'. It comes from the prefix des- (undo) and ayunar, which means 'to fast'.
- While desayunar refers to the first meal, in some regions the phrase almuerzo can refer to either a mid-morning snack or the main midday meal.
Examples in context
- Quiero un tazón de cereal y una taza de café.I want a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee.
- ¿Qué quieres desayunar? ¿Café o té?What do you want for breakfast? Coffee or tea?
- Dime, ¿qué quieres desayunar?Tell me, what do you want for breakfast?
Example conversation
Javier is in the kitchen asking Lucía about her morning meal.
- JavierLucía, ¿qué quieres desayunar?Lucía, what do you want for breakfast?
- LucíaQuiero un café y tostadas, por favor.I want a coffee and toast, please.
- JavierPerfecto, las preparo ahora mismo.Perfect, I'll prepare them right now.
- LucíaMuchas gracias, Javier.Thank you very much, Javier.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries desayunar, qué, CC BY-SA 4.0.
