come
“come” means “eats” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
eats, Eat!
Also: is eating
📝 In Action
Mi perro come muy rápido.
A1My dog eats very quickly.
Ella siempre come antes de ir a trabajar.
A1She always eats before going to work.
¡Come tu brócoli! Es bueno para ti.
A1Eat your broccoli! It's good for you.
consumes, takes up
Also: uses
📝 In Action
Ese proyecto come mucho tiempo.
B1That project consumes a lot of time.
La impresora come mucha tinta.
B1The printer uses up a lot of ink.
Esta mesa come demasiado espacio.
B2This table takes up too much space.
corrodes, captures
Also: erodes
📝 In Action
El óxido come el metal del coche.
B2The rust corrodes (eats away at) the metal of the car.
Si la torre come el peón, pierdes la partida de ajedrez.
B2If the rook captures the pawn, you lose the chess game.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: come
Question 1 of 2
Which form of 'come' is used in the sentence: 'Usted no come carne'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Come' comes from the Latin verb *comedere*, which was formed by combining *com-* (meaning 'together' or 'completely') and *edere* (meaning 'to eat'). It literally meant 'to eat up entirely' or 'to consume.'
First recorded: 10th century (as part of early Iberian Romance languages)
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'come' a regular or irregular verb form?
The base verb, *comer* (to eat), is a regular -er verb. 'Come' is a completely regular conjugation, meaning its stem never changes and its endings follow the standard patterns.
How do I know if 'come' means 'he eats' or 'eat!'?
You need context. If the sentence includes a subject (like Ella or Usted) or is part of a longer statement, it means 'he/she/you formal eats.' If you see exclamation points or it stands alone as a short, direct statement, it is the informal command ('Eat!').