comió
/koh-Mee-oh/
ate
Depicting the act of consuming food, or 'ate'.
comió(verb)
ate
?He/She/You (formal) consumed food.
had lunch/dinner
?Depending on context, referring to a main meal.
📝 In Action
Ella comió una manzana después del ejercicio.
A1She ate an apple after exercising.
¿Quién comió el último trozo de pastel? ¡Fue delicioso!
A2Who ate the last slice of cake? It was delicious!
Usted comió en silencio, pensando en el trabajo.
B1You (formal) ate in silence, thinking about work.
💡 Grammar Points
The Quick Past Tense (Preterite)
"Comió" tells you that the action of eating finished completely at a specific point in the past. It is used for single, completed events, like 'yesterday' or 'at 5 PM.'
Who Did the Action?
This form always refers to a single person: 'él' (he), 'ella' (she), or 'usted' (the formal way of saying 'you').
❌ Common Pitfalls
Mixing Up Past Tenses
Mistake: "Ayer él comía pizza. (Yesterday he was eating pizza.)"
Correction: Ayer él comió pizza. (Yesterday he ate pizza.) The form 'comía' describes an ongoing or habitual action in the past, not a single finished event.
⭐ Usage Tips
Use with Time Markers
Use 'comió' with phrases that mark a clear end to the action, such as 'anoche' (last night), 'hace dos horas' (two hours ago), or 'el lunes pasado' (last Monday).
Illustrating how something is 'consumed' or used up, like resources.
comió(verb)
consumed
?Used up resources or time
,corroded
?Acid or rust damaging metal
took up
?Space or time
📝 In Action
La inflación comió sus ahorros en pocos meses.
B2Inflation consumed (ate up) his savings in a few months.
El óxido comió la base de metal de la estatua.
C1The rust corroded (ate away at) the metal base of the statue.
💡 Grammar Points
Figurative Use
In this context, 'comió' is used when something non-living (like time, rust, or a disease) destroys or uses up an object or resource completely.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: comió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'comió' to describe a single, finished action?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'comió' and 'comía'?
'Comió' (Preterite) is used for a single, completed action in the past (e.g., 'He ate lunch at 1 PM'). 'Comía' (Imperfect) is used for actions that were ongoing, habitual, or descriptive in the past (e.g., 'He used to eat a lot of candy').
If I want to say 'They ate,' can I use 'comió'?
No. 'Comió' is only for 'He,' 'She,' or formal singular 'You.' To say 'They ate,' you must use the plural form: 'comieron'.