How to Say Food in Spanish

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Say "comida" as a general term for "food" or "meal".

   This is probably the most important food-related word you'll want to know.
   
   It's used in virtually all Spanish-speaking countries as an all-purpose word for "food." It can also be used the same way as "meal" is used in English: "la comida" can be both the general idea of food and the specific food you eat when you sit down at your plate. "Comida" is pronounced "koh-MEE-thah." When d is used before a vowel at the end of a word in Spanish, it gets a soft sound that's very similar to the "th" sound in English (as in "th").Be sure to put stress on the "ee" part of the word.
   
   It's "koh-MEE-thah," not "koh-mee-THAH" or "KOH-mee-thah." In the rest of this article, the syllable written in capitals gets the stress.
2. 2

   Step 2: Say "alimento" for "food" or "nourishment."

   This is another common word used to refer to food.
   
   Unlike "comida," it isn't usually used for "meal," but you can use it metaphorically to discuss fuel, feed, and so on (e.g., "alimento para el fuego" means "fuel for the fire").
   
   Pronounce "alimento" "all-ee-MEN-toe." The first syllable sounds like the word "all" (not the name "Al"). , This word is a somewhat old-fashioned way to describe food.
   
   Here, the focus is on the fact that the food is sustaining the person eating it — it's implied that it's his or her source of survival in a way that isn't usually done for "normal" food.
   
   For example, a prisoner's meager rations might be "su sustento" ("his sustenance").
   
   You can also use this word to refer to a person's means of living (i.e., a job).
   
   Pronounce this word "soos-TEHN-toe." Note that the first syllable uses a "oo" sound (as in "root") rather than an "oh" sound (as in "toe"). , This isn't a word that's usually used when people are talking about the food in their day-to-day meals.
   
   Instead, it's mainly used for referring to food as a product or commodity.
   
   For example, "la tienda de comestibles" is "the edibles store," or what we would call a grocery store.Pronounce this word "koh-meh-STEE-blays." The word ends with a hard s sound (as in "glass") rather than a soft s (like an English z).
   
   This is true in general for the Spanish s., If you want to talk specifically about the food you would typically eat at a given time of the day, you can use the name of the meal.
   
   These are:
   Breakfast: el desayuno ("deh-sah-JOO-no" or "deh-sah-YOO-no") Lunch: el almuerzo ("all-MWEHR-so") Dinner: la cena ("SAY-nah") , Like English, Spanish has many different ways to refer to the small meals you eat between the "main" ones — in other words, snacks.
   
   A few of the most common ones are listed below.
   
   There are many others that vary from region to region. el tentempié ("ten-temp-ee-AY") el bocadillo ("boh-cah-DEE-joe" or "boh-cah-DEE-yo") el piscolabis ("pees-coh-LAW-bees")
3. 3

   Step 3: Use "sustento" for "sustenance."

4. 4

   Step 4: Use "comestibles" for "edibles."

5. 5

   Step 5: Learn the names of the daily meals.

6. 6

   Step 6: Learn the various terms for "snack."

Detailed Guide

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