comió
“comió” means “ate” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
ate
Also: had lunch/dinner
📝 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.
consumed, corroded
Also: took up
📝 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.
🔄 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
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
The verb 'comer' comes directly from the Latin word *comedere*. This word combined *com-* (meaning 'with' or 'together') and *edere* (meaning 'to eat'), giving it the original sense of 'to eat up' or 'to consume entirely.'
First recorded: Old Spanish (c. 10th century)
Cognates (Related words)
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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'.

