comer
“comer” means “to eat” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
to eat
Also: to have lunch, to have dinner
📝 In Action
Me gusta comer pasta los viernes.
A1I like to eat pasta on Fridays.
¿A qué hora comemos hoy?
A1What time are we eating/having lunch today?
Anoche comimos en un restaurante nuevo.
A2Last night we ate at a new restaurant.
Si no comes tus verduras, no hay postre.
B1If you don't eat your vegetables, there's no dessert.
to use up
Also: to consume, to eat up
📝 In Action
Este coche come mucha gasolina.
B1This car uses up a lot of gas.
El nuevo software se come toda la memoria RAM.
B2The new software eats up all the RAM.
Los gastos inesperados se comieron nuestros ahorros.
B2The unexpected expenses ate up our savings.
to eat away at
Also: to corrode, to wear away
📝 In Action
El óxido se está comiendo la valla metálica.
B2The rust is eating away at the metal fence.
El ácido comió la superficie de la mesa.
C1The acid ate away the surface of the table.
to skip
Also: to drop, to leave out
📝 In Action
Habla tan rápido que se come las palabras.
B2He speaks so fast that he swallows his words.
En esta región, la gente se come la 's' final.
B2In this region, people drop the final 's'.
Te comiste un paso importante en las instrucciones.
C1You skipped an important step in the instructions.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
Translate to Spanish
🗣️ Practice in a Tongue Twister
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: comer
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'comer' in a figurative way, not about food?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin word 'comedere', which is a combination of 'con-' (meaning 'with' or 'completely') and 'edere' (meaning 'to eat'). So, from the very beginning, it had the sense of 'eating something up completely'.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'comer' and 'almorzar'?
It depends on the region! In Spain, 'comer' is the main word for 'to have lunch', and 'almorzar' is a mid-morning snack. In much of Latin America, it's the opposite: 'almorzar' is 'to have lunch', and 'comer' is a more general term for 'to eat'.
Is 'comer' always regular?
Yes, 'comer' is a completely regular -er verb in all tenses and moods. Once you learn the pattern for one regular -er verb, you know how to conjugate 'comer' perfectly!
When would I use 'dar de comer'?
'Dar de comer' means 'to feed' someone or something else. For example, 'Voy a dar de comer al perro' means 'I'm going to feed the dog.' You use it when you are the one giving the food, not eating it yourself.