Inklingo

How to Say "to consume" in Spanish

English → Spanish

tomar

/toh-MAHR-meh//toˈmaɾme/

verbA1general
Use 'tomar' for the general act of ingesting food or drink, similar to 'to have' or 'to take' in English.
A storybook illustration showing a person happily drinking water from a clear glass.

Examples

Voy a tomarme un café antes de empezar.

I'm going to have a coffee before starting.

Olvidé tomarme la pastilla esta mañana.

I forgot to take the pill this morning.

Es agradable tomarme una copa de vino en la terraza.

It's nice to have a glass of wine on the terrace.

'Tomar' vs. 'Beber'

In many parts of the Spanish-speaking world, 'tomar' is used more often than 'beber' (to drink) when referring to beverages or medicine.

Using 'Beber' Exclusively

Mistake: “Quiero beberme un té.”

Correction: Quiero tomarme un té. (While 'beberme' is correct, 'tomarme' sounds more natural for consuming drinks in everyday conversation.)

gastar

/gahs-TAHR//ɡasˈtaɾ/

verbB1general
Use 'gastar' when referring to the consumption of resources like fuel, electricity, or battery power.
A tall, clear drinking glass standing on a surface, containing only a single drop of water at the bottom, symbolizing a resource being used up.

Examples

No gastes la batería del móvil mirando videos.

Don't use up the phone battery watching videos.

Gastamos mucha energía en calentar la casa.

We use a lot of energy heating the house.

Es una pena gastar tanto tiempo esperando.

It's a shame to waste so much time waiting.

Wasting Effort

When talking about effort or energy, 'gastar' often implies that the resource was used inefficiently or without good results.

comer

/koh-mehr//koˈmeɾ/

verbB1figurative
Use 'comer' figuratively to describe something that uses up a lot of a resource, such as fuel or time, implying inefficiency.
A stylized automobile with a giant mouth instead of a grille, actively gulping down a stream of liquid fuel, symbolizing excessive consumption.

Examples

Este coche come mucha gasolina.

This car consumes a lot of gas.

El nuevo software se come toda la memoria RAM.

The new software eats up all the RAM.

Los gastos inesperados se comieron nuestros ahorros.

The unexpected expenses ate up our savings.

Literal vs. Figurative 'Consume'

Learners often mistakenly use 'comer' (to eat) for the general consumption of resources like electricity or gas. Remember that 'comer' is primarily for food and only used figuratively for resource depletion, while 'gastar' is the standard term for consuming fuel or energy.

Related Translations

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