comer

See also: Comer

English

Etymology

From Middle English comere, equivalent to come +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈkʌmɚ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌmə(ɹ)

Noun

comer (plural comers)

1. One in a race who is catching up to others and shows promise of winning.
2. (figuratively) One who is catching up in some contest and has a likelihood of victory.
   • 2004 August 9 & 16, The New Yorker, page 40:

     The transition from comer to also-ran can be quick.

   • 2004 December 6, The New Yorker, page 105:

     Django, then, was not just a comer; he was a cause.

3. One who arrives.

   The champ will face all comers.

   • 1857, Anthony Trollope, Barchester Towers:

     It was soon apparent that no every day comer was at the door. One servant whispered […] it was the bishop […]

   • 1959 August, American Heritage, volume 10, number 5:

     Sullivan went on an unprecedented barnstorming tour across the country, taking on all comers and offering $1,000 to anyone who stayed four rounds, Queensberry rules.

Related terms

• aftercomer
• come
• downcomer
• earlycomer
• firstcomer
• homecomer
• latecomer
• newcomer
• up-and-comer

Translations

in a race

• Russian: подаю́щий наде́жды m (podajúščij nadéždy)
• Spanish: puntero (es) m, delantero (es) m, puntera (es) f, delantera (es) f

in some contest

• Russian: подаю́щий наде́жды m (podajúščij nadéždy)
• Spanish: puntero (es) m, delantero (es) m, puntera (es) f, delantera (es) f

who arrives

• Bulgarian: пристигащ (bg) (pristigašt)
• Russian: прише́дший (ru) m (prišédšij), прибы́вший (ru) m (pribývšij), прие́хавший (ru) m (prijéxavšij)
• Spanish: contendiente m, el que llega m, la que llega f
• Welsh: dyfodiad m

See also

• dot-comer (etymologically unrelated)

Anagrams

• crome

Asturian

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈmeɾ/ [koˈmeɾ]
• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: co‧mer

Verb

comer (first-person singular indicative present como, past participle comíu)

1. to eat

Conjugation

Conjugation of comer

infinitive		comer
gerundive		comiendo
participle		m comíu, f comida, n comío, m pl comíos, f pl comíes
person		first singular yo	second singular tu	third singular él/elli	first plural nosotros/nós	second plural vosotros/vós	third plural ellos
indicative	present	como	comes	come	comemos	coméis	comen
	imperfect	comía	comíes	comía	comíemos	comíeis	comíen
	preterite	comí	comiesti	comió	comiemos	comiestis	comieron
	pluperfect	comiere	comieres	comiere	comiéremos	comiereis	comieren
	future	comeré	comerás	comerá	comeremos	comeréis	comerán
	conditional	comería	comeríes	comería	comeríemos/comeríamos	comeríeis/comeríais	comeríen
subjunctive	present	coma	comas	coma	comamos	comáis	coman
	imperfect	comiere	comieres	comiere	comiéremos	comiereis	comieren
imperative			comi			coméi

Further reading

• Academia de la Llingua Asturiana (2000). Diccionariu de la llingua asturiana (1ª edición). →ISBN.

Galician

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese comer, from Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere. Compare Portuguese comer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [koˈmeɾ]

Verb

comer (first-person singular present como, first-person singular preterite comín, past participle comido)
comer (first-person singular present como, first-person singular preterite comim or comi, past participle comido, reintegrationist norm)

1. to eat

Conjugation

    Conjugation of comer

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	comer
Personal	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comeren
Gerund
	comendo
Past participle
Masculine	comido			comidos
Feminine	comida			comidas
Indicative
Present	como	comes	come	comemos	comedes	comen
Imperfect	comía	comías	comía	comiamos	comiades	comían
Preterite	comín	comiches	comeu	comemos	comestes	comeron
Pluperfect	comera	comeras	comera	comeramos	comerades	comeran
Future	comerei	comerás	comerá	comeremos	comeredes	comerán
Conditional	comería	comerías	comería	comeriamos	comeriades	comerían
Subjunctive
Present	coma	comas	coma	comamos	comades	coman
Imperfect	comese	comeses	comese	comésemos	comésedes	comesen
Future	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comeren
Imperative
Affirmative		come	coma	comamos	comede	coman
Negative (non)		non comas	non coma	non comamos	non comades	non coman

    Reintegrated conjugation of comer (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	comer
Personal	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comerem
Gerund
	comendo
Past participle
Masculine	comido			comidos
Feminine	comida			comidas
Indicative
Present	como	comes	come	comemos	comedes, comeis	comem
Imperfect	comia	comias	comia	comíamos	comíades, comíeis, comíais1	comiam
Preterite	comim, comi	comeste, comeche1	comeu	comemos	comestes	comêrom, comeram
Pluperfect	comera	comeras	comera	comêramos	comêrades, comêreis, comêrais1	comeram
Future	comerei	comerás	comerá	comeremos	comeredes, comereis	comerám, comerão
Conditional	comeria	comerias	comeria	comeríamos	comeríades, comeríeis, comeríais1	comeriam
Subjunctive
Present	coma	comas	coma	comamos	comades, comais	comam
Imperfect	comesse	comesses	comesse	comêssemos	comêssedes, comêsseis	comessem
Future	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comerem
Imperative
Affirmative		come	coma	comamos	comede, comei	comam
Negative (nom)		nom comas	nom coma	nom comamos	nom comades, nom comais	nom comam

¹Less recommended.

Related terms

• dar de comer

Further reading

• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “comer”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “comer”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, editor (2006–2013), “comer”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios da lingua galega [Dictionary of Dictionaries of the Galician language] (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Antón Luís Santamarina Fernández, Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, editors (2003–2018), “comer”, in Tesouro informatizado da lingua galega (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• “comer”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025
• “comer” in Dicionário Estraviz de galego (2014).
• Rosario Álvarez Blanco, editor (2014–2024), “comer”, in Tesouro do léxico patrimonial galego e portugués (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega, →ISSN

Mirandese

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere.

Verb

comer

1. to eat

Old Galician-Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere. Cognate with Old Spanish comer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈmeɾ/
• Rhymes: -eɾ

Verb

comer

1. to eat

Conjugation

Conjugation of comer

infinitive				comer
gerund		simple		comendo
		compound		gerund of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
past participle				singular		plural
		masculine		comesto, comudo, comido		comestos, comudos, comidos
		feminine		comesta, comuda, comida		comestas, comudas, comidas
present participle				comente		comentes
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	cômio, coimo, como	comes	come	comemos	comedes	comen
	imperfect	comia	comias	comia	comiamos, comíamos	comiades, comíades	comian
	preterite	comi, comin	comeste, comiste, comesche, comische, comeche, comiche	comeu, comeo, comio, comiu	comemos	comestes	comeron
	pluperfect	comera	comeras	comera	comeramos, comêramos	comerades, comêrades	comeran
	future	comerei	comerás	comerá	comeremos	comeredes	comerán
	conditional	comeria	comerias	comeria	comeriamos, comeríamos	comeriades, comeríades	comerian
compound tenses	present perfect	present of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	past anterior	preterite of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect anterior	simple pluperfect of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	future perfect	future of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
subjunctive mood		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
simple tenses	present	cômia, coima, coma	cômias, coimas, comas	cômia, coima, coma	comiamos, coimamos, comamos	comiades, coimades, comades	cômian, coiman, coman
	imperfect	comesse	comesses	comesse	comessemos, comêssemos	comessedes, comêssedes	comessen
	future	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comeren
compound tenses	present perfect	present subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
	future perfect	future subjunctive of haver or tẽer1 + past participle
imperative mood		—	tu	vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	—
affirmative		—	come, cume	cômia, coima, coma	comiamos, coimamos, comamos	comede	—
negative		—	non cômias, non coimas, non comas	non cômia, non coima, non coma	non comiamos, non coimamos, non comamos	non comiades, non coimades, non comades	—
personal infinitive		eu ei	tu	el~ele ela vossa mercee	nos nos outros nos outras	vos vos outros vos outras	eles elas
		comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comeren
1teer and ter were also used, although all three were less common than haver.

Descendants

• Galician: comer
• Portuguese: comer (see there for further descendants)

Further reading

• Universo Cantigas - "comer"

Old Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere. Cognate with Old Galician-Portuguese comer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈmeɾ/

Verb

comer

1. to eat

Descendants

• Ladino: komer, kumer
• Spanish: comer (see there for further descendants)

Portuguese

Etymology

Inherited from Old Galician-Portuguese comer, from Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere.

Cognate with Galician, Mirandese, Asturian, and Spanish comer and Mirandese quemer.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /koˈme(ʁ)/ [koˈme(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /koˈme(ʁ)/ [koˈme(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /koˈme(ɾ)/
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /koˈme(ʁ)/ [koˈme(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /koˈme(ɻ)/

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kuˈmeɾ/

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /kuˈmeɾ/
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /kuˈme.ɾi/

• Hyphenation: co‧mer

Verb

comer (first-person singular present como, first-person singular preterite comi, past participle comido)

1. (ambitransitive) to eat
   1. (intransitive) to consume meals

      Já comi hoje, obrigado. ― I've already eaten today, thanks.

   2. (transitive) to consume a specific food

      Você come carne? ― Do you eat meat?

      Estou com vontade de comer um pedaço de torta. ― I feel like eating a slice of pie.

   3. (intransitive, Brazil) to eat some [with de ‘of a food’]

      Você comeu da carne? ― Did you eat some of the meat?

2. (transitive, chess, board games) to capture (eliminate a piece from the game)

   Agora comi-te a torre. ― Now I have captured your rook.

   Synonym: capturar

3. (transitive) to corrode; to eat away, to destroy (to slowly destroy)

   A chuva comeu a grade. ― The rain ate away the grate.

   Aquela pneumonia comeu sua saúde. ― That pneumonia has destroyed his health.

   Synonym: corroer

4. (transitive, by extension, colloquial) to use up; to eat up; to consume

   Já comi todo o meu salário. ― I have already eaten up my entire salary.

   Este carro não come muita gasolina. ― This car doesn't use much petrol.

   Synonyms: consumir, usar, utilizar

5. (transitive, vulgar) to fuck; to screw (to penetrate sexually)

   Depois do jantar, na mesma noite eu comi ela. ― After dinner, that same night I fucked her.

   Synonym: foder

   1. (reflexive, vulgar, by extension) to fuck (of two or more people)

      Estão felizes assim porque se comeram ― They’re that cheerful because they fucked

   2. (transitive, vulgar, by extension) to have any sexual or otherwise libidinous relationship with someone

Conjugation

    Conjugation of comer (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	comer
Personal	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comerem
Gerund
	comendo
Past participle
Masculine	comido			comidos
Feminine	comida			comidas
Indicative
Present	como	comes	come	comemos	comeis	comem
Imperfect	comia	comias	comia	comíamos	comíeis	comiam
Preterite	comi	comeste	comeu	comemos	comestes	comeram
Pluperfect	comera	comeras	comera	comêramos	comêreis	comeram
Future	comerei	comerás	comerá	comeremos	comereis	comerão
Conditional	comeria	comerias	comeria	comeríamos	comeríeis	comeriam
Subjunctive
Present	coma	comas	coma	comamos	comais	comam
Imperfect	comesse	comesses	comesse	comêssemos	comêsseis	comessem
Future	comer	comeres	comer	comermos	comerdes	comerem
Imperative
Affirmative		come	coma	comamos	comei	comam
Negative (não)		não comas	não coma	não comamos	não comais	não comam

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:comer.

Synonyms

• (to eat): alimentar
• (to have sex): faturar, papar, traçar

Derived terms

• vi com estes olhos que a terra há de comer

Descendants

• Kabuverdianu: kume
• Macanese: comê
• Papiamentu: kome
• → Malay: kumi

Noun

comer m (plural comeres)

1. (informal, sometimes proscribed) food; meal

   Synonyms: comida, refeição

   O comer está na mesa! ― Food is on the table!

Further reading

• “comer”, in iDicionário Aulete (in Portuguese), Rio de Janeiro: Lexikon Editora Digital, 2008–2025
• “comer”, in Dicionário inFormal (in Portuguese), 2006–2025
• “comer” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913
• “comer”, in Dicionário infopédia da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Porto: Porto Editora, 2003–2025
• “comer”, in Michaelis Dicionário Brasileiro da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), São Paulo: Editora Melhoramentos, 2015–2025
• “comer”, in Dicionário Priberam da Língua Portuguesa (in Portuguese), Lisbon: Priberam, 2008–2025

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish comer, from Vulgar Latin *comēre, restructuring of Latin comedere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /koˈmeɾ/ [koˈmeɾ]

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɾ
• Syllabification: co‧mer

Verb

comer (first-person singular present como, first-person singular preterite comí, past participle comido)

1. to eat

   ¿Cómo como? ¿Cómo cómo como? ¡Como como como! (classroom example of written accent)

   How do I eat? What do you mean, how do I eat? I eat like I eat!

2. (Spain) to have lunch
3. (colloquial) to eat away, corrode
4. (transitive, chess, board games) to capture a piece
5. (double entendre, Mexico) to have sexual intercourse (because of similarity to coger)

Conjugation

    Conjugation of comer (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			comer
gerund			comiendo
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		comido		comida
		plural		comidos		comidas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	como	comestú comésvos	come	comemos	coméis	comen
	imperfect	comía	comías	comía	comíamos	comíais	comían
	preterite	comí	comiste	comió	comimos	comisteis	comieron
	future	comeré	comerás	comerá	comeremos	comeréis	comerán
	conditional	comería	comerías	comería	comeríamos	comeríais	comerían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	coma	comastú comásvos2	coma	comamos	comáis	coman
	imperfect (ra)	comiera	comieras	comiera	comiéramos	comierais	comieran
	imperfect (se)	comiese	comieses	comiese	comiésemos	comieseis	comiesen
	future1	comiere	comieres	comiere	comiéremos	comiereis	comieren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		cometú comévos	coma	comamos	comed	coman
	negative		no comas	no coma	no comamos	no comáis	no coman

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of comer

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive comer	dative	comerme	comerte	comerle, comerse	comernos	comeros	comerles, comerse
	accusative	comerme	comerte	comerlo, comerla, comerse	comernos	comeros	comerlos, comerlas, comerse
with gerund comiendo	dative	comiéndome	comiéndote	comiéndole, comiéndose	comiéndonos	comiéndoos	comiéndoles, comiéndose
	accusative	comiéndome	comiéndote	comiéndolo, comiéndola, comiéndose	comiéndonos	comiéndoos	comiéndolos, comiéndolas, comiéndose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative come	dative	cómeme	cómete	cómele	cómenos	not used	cómeles
	accusative	cómeme	cómete	cómelo, cómela	cómenos	not used	cómelos, cómelas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative comé	dative	comeme	comete	comele	comenos	not used	comeles
	accusative	comeme	comete	comelo, comela	comenos	not used	comelos, comelas
with formal second-person singular imperative coma	dative	cómame	not used	cómale, cómase	cómanos	not used	cómales
	accusative	cómame	not used	cómalo, cómala, cómase	cómanos	not used	cómalos, cómalas
with first-person plural imperative comamos	dative	not used	comámoste	comámosle	comámonos	comámoos	comámosles
	accusative	not used	comámoste	comámoslo, comámosla	comámonos	comámoos	comámoslos, comámoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative comed	dative	comedme	not used	comedle	comednos	comeos	comedles
	accusative	comedme	not used	comedlo, comedla	comednos	comeos	comedlos, comedlas
with formal second-person plural imperative coman	dative	cómanme	not used	cómanle	cómannos	not used	cómanles, cómanse
	accusative	cómanme	not used	cómanlo, cómanla	cómannos	not used	cómanlos, cómanlas, cómanse

Derived terms

• comecocos
• comeflor
• comejibias
• cómeme el coño
• cómeme el rabo
• cómeme la polla
• cómeme los huevos
• comer a besos
• comer a dos carrillos
• comer con los ojos
• comer la sopa boba
• comerás con la cuchara que escojas
• comerse con patatas
• comerse el marrón
• comerse el tarro
• comerse la cabeza
• comerse la olla
• comerse los codos de hambre
• comerse los mocos
• con la cuchara que escojas, con aquella comerás
• coyol quebrado, coyol comido
• cuando seas padre comerás huevos
• dar de comer
• de lo que se come se cría
• lo comido por lo servido
• lo que se han de comer los gusanos, que lo disfruten los cristianos
• ni come, ni deja comer
• no comerse un rosco
• pan comido
• sin comerlo ni beberlo
• ¿se come?

Related terms

• carcomer
• comecocos
• comedero
• comedor
• comefuego
• comensal
• comestible
• comezón
• comida
• comilón
• comilona

Descendants

• → Sardinian: comere

See also

• almorzar
• cenar
• desayunar
• merendar

Noun

comer m (plural comeres)

1. eating, food

   Synonyms: alimento, comida

   quitárselo uno de su comer

   to deprive oneself of something for the benefit of others

   el comer fuera es muy común

   eating out is very common

   ...necesario para el alma como el comer para el cuerpo

   ...necessary for the soul like food for the body

Further reading

• “comer”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10
• “comer”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010