How to Say "to chew" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “to chew” is “masticar” — use 'masticar' when referring to the act of breaking down food with your teeth as part of eating..
masticar
/mas-tee-KAR//mastiˈkaɾ/
Examples
Tienes que masticar bien la comida antes de tragar.
You have to chew your food well before swallowing.
El niño está masticando un chicle de fresa.
The boy is chewing a piece of strawberry gum.
Es difícil masticar con este dolor de muelas.
It is hard to chew with this toothache.
The Spelling Change Rule
For verbs ending in -car, the 'c' changes to 'qu' when followed by an 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' form of the past (Preterite) and all forms of the 'special wish' verb mode (Subjunctive) to keep the hard 'K' sound.
Direct Objects with Masticar
Just like in English, you don't need a preposition after 'masticar'. You simply 'masticar [something]' directly.
The Spelling Error
Mistake: “Yo masticé la carne.”
Correction: Yo mastiqué la carne. (We use 'qu' to make sure it still sounds like 'K' rather than 'S'.)
mascar
/mah-skahr//masˈkaɾ/
Examples
No es bueno mascar chicle todo el día.
It's not good to chew gum all day.
El perro está mascando su juguete nuevo.
The dog is chewing on its new toy.
Él se quedó mascando la respuesta antes de hablar.
He sat there mulling over the answer before speaking.
The Spelling Change
In the 'yo' form of the past (Preterite) and all 'wishes' forms (Subjunctive), the 'c' changes to 'qu' (masqué). This is done to keep the 'k' sound; without it, it would sound like an 's'.
Mascar vs. Masticar
While very similar, 'masticar' is the standard word for chewing food properly to eat. 'Mascar' is more common for chewing gum or things you don't necessarily swallow.
Wrong Spelling in Past Tense
Mistake: “Yo mascé chicle.”
Correction: Yo masqué chicle. Remember that 'c' always becomes 'qu' before the letter 'e' in these verbs.
Food vs. Other Chewing
Related Translations
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.