How to Say "to dine" in Spanish

The Spanish word for “to dine” is “cenar” — A1 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.

English → SpanishA1

cenar

VerbA1

Slightly more formal

A storybook illustration showing a person sitting at a wooden table, happily eating a plate of food indoors under warm, dim lighting, signifying the evening meal.

Examples

¿A qué hora vamos a cenar?

What time are we going to have dinner?

Anoche cené pescado con verduras.

Last night I had fish and vegetables for dinner.

Nos invitaron a cenar en su casa nueva.

They invited us to have dinner at their new house.

'Cenar' is a complete action

In English, you say 'I have dinner'. In Spanish, the verb 'cenar' already includes the idea of 'having' or 'eating' the meal. You don't need another verb with it.

Using 'tener' (to have)

Mistake: “Voy a tener cena con mis amigos.”

Correction: Voy a cenar con mis amigos. The verb 'cenar' means 'to have dinner' all by itself, so you don't need 'tener'.

See full entry for “cenar” →

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