Comer Conjugation: All Spanish Tenses

Comer (to eat; in Spain also to have lunch) is one of the most used verbs in Spanish and it is completely regular: it follows the -er verb pattern in every tense, so it is the perfect model verb to learn first.

Indicative Tenses of Comer

Comer in the Present (Presente)

Habits, current facts and general truths: Como fruta todos los días (I eat fruit every day).

Present tense rules →

Comer in the Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)

Completed actions at a specific moment in the past: Ayer comí paella en un restaurante (Yesterday I ate paella at a restaurant).

Preterite rules →

Comer in the Present Perfect (Pretérito perfecto)

Past connected to the present: Hoy he comido demasiado (Today I have eaten too much).

Present perfect rules →

Comer in the Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)

Habitual or ongoing actions in the past: De niño comía muy poco (As a child I used to eat very little).

Imperfect rules →

Comer in the Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)

An action before another past action: Cuando llegué, ya habían comido todo (When I arrived, they had already eaten everything).

Past perfect rules →

Comer in the Future (Futuro simple)

Plans and predictions: Mañana comeremos en casa de la abuela (Tomorrow we will eat at grandma's house).

Future tense rules →

Comer in the Future Perfect (Futuro perfecto)

An action that will be completed in the future: Para las tres ya habremos comido (By three o'clock we will have eaten).

Future perfect rules →

Comer in the Conditional (Condicional simple)

Advice and hypothetical situations: Yo en tu lugar comería más verduras (If I were you, I would eat more vegetables).

Conditional rules →

Comer in the Conditional Perfect (Condicional compuesto)

Hypotheses about the past: Habría comido contigo, pero ya había cenado (I would have eaten with you, but I had already had dinner).

Conditional perfect rules →

Subjunctive Tenses of Comer

Present Subjunctive of Comer (Presente de subjuntivo)

Wishes, doubts and emotions: Quiero que comas más despacio (I want you to eat more slowly).

Present subjunctive rules →

Present Perfect Subjunctive of Comer (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)

Evaluating a recent past action: Espero que hayas comido bien (I hope you have eaten well).

Perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperfect Subjunctive of Comer (Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Hypothetical conditions: Si comieras más fruta, te sentirías mejor (If you ate more fruit, you would feel better).

Imperfect subjunctive rules →

Past Perfect Subjunctive of Comer (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Unreal hypotheses about the past: Si hubieras comido antes, no tendrías hambre ahora (If you had eaten earlier, you wouldn't be hungry now).

Past perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperative of Comer

Affirmative Commands of Comer (Imperativo afirmativo)

Orders and requests: ¡Come las verduras, por favor! (Eat your vegetables, please!)

Affirmative commands rules →

Negative Commands of Comer (Imperativo negativo)

Prohibitions and negative advice: No comas tan rápido (Don't eat so fast).

Negative commands rules →

Expressions with Comer

• Ser pan comido - to be a piece of cake, very easy (literally: to be eaten bread)
• Comerse el coco - to overthink, to worry too much
• Comer como una lima - to eat a lot (literally: to eat like a file)
• Comerse las palabras - to mumble, to slur one's words