Comer Conjugation Chart & Full Tense Guide

“Comer” means “to eat.” It is a regular -er verb and it’s an essential verb to learn as early as possible.

I’m James, from Learn Spanish With James, and the host of the Learn Spanish With James Podcast. 

In this guide, you’ll see I have put together all “comer” conjugations, with example sentences to provide context. 

From eating and ordering food in Spain to chatting about dinner plans in Latin America or giving positive and negative commands, knowing how to conjugate “comer” in the different simple and compound tenses will help you speak Spanish confidently.

My aim is that by the end of this guide, you’ll be able to use “comer” in conversations. 

Check out each conjugation chart for each tense, then the example sentences I’ve written below.

Let’s get started with the Spanish verb conjugation patterns for this verb.

Present Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	como
you	tú	comes
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	come
we	nosotros,nosotras	comemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	coméis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	comen

When We Use the Present Tense

The present tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, general truths, or actions in the near future.

For the regular verb “comer,” conjugation involves removing the -er ending and adding the appropriate ending for the verb forms.

In fact, this is the general rule for every verb you’ll come across in Spanish.

Examples of “Comer” in the Present Tense

• Yo como la cena. (I eat dinner.)
• Tú comes una manzana. (You eat an apple.)
• Él/ella come en el restaurante. (He/she eats at the restaurant.)
• Nosotros comemos juntos/as. (We eat together.)
• Vosotros coméis pizza. (You all eat pizza.)
• Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comen pescado. (They eat fish.)

Preterite Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	comí
you	tú	comiste
he, she. it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	comió
we	nosotros, nosotras	comimos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	comisteis
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	comieron

When We Use the Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is used to talk about completed actions in the past. 

For example, “Yesterday, I ate an apple”. 

Conjugation for any verb in this past tense involves changing the verb endings to match the subject. 

You can review this in the “comer” conjugation chart above, and in the sentences below.

Tip Tip: 🦉Do you notice how this differs from “I was eating an apple” or “I used to eat an apple”? These are examples of the imperfect tense. When learning the past tense, study the difference between the imperfect tense and the preterite tense.

Examples of “Comer” in the Preterite Tense

• Yo comí una ensalada. (I ate a salad.)
• Tú comiste toda la comida. (You ate all the food.)
• Él/ella comió con su familia. (He/she ate with his/her family.)
• Nosotros/as comimos en el restaurante. (We ate at the restaurant.)
• Vosotros/as comisteis la cena tarde. (You all ate dinner late.)
• Ellos/Ellas comieron postre después. (They ate dessert afterward.)

Imperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	comía
you	tú	comías
he, she, it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	comía
we	nosotros, nosotras	comíamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	comíais
they, you(pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	comían

When We Use the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or habitual actions in the past, as well as to provide background information or set the scene.

Examples of the imperfect tense are “I was eating” and “I used to eat”. In English, these are different tenses, but in Spanish we use the imperfect tense to express both of these tenses.

In order to conjugate “comer” in the imperfect tense, just remove the -er ending and add the correct ending to match the subject. 

Examples of “Comer” in the Imperfect Tense

• Yo comía frutas todos los días. (I used to eat fruit every day.)
• Tú comías en casa de tu abuela. (You used to eat at your grandmother’s house.)
• Él/ella comía cuando llegábamos. (He/she used to eat when we arrived.)
  Note: “llegábamos” is an example of a “llegar” conjugation in the imperfect tense.
• Nosotros/as comíamos a las seis de la tarde. (We used to eat at six in the evening.)
• Vosotros/as comíais en el parque. (You all used to eat in the park.)
• Ellos/Ellas comían pasta todos los domingos. (They used to eat pasta on Sundays.)

Future Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	comeré
you	tú	comerás
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	comerá
we	nosotros,nosotras	comeremos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	comeréis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	comerán

When We Use the Future Tense

The future tense is used to talk about actions that will happen in the future. 

Remember this: the translation is “will”. For example, “I will eat”.

We conjugate “comer” in the future tense by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive form of the verb.

Top Tip: 🦉The future tense in Spanish is VERY easy to learn. Just add each correct ending to the existing infinitive form. You do not need to take any letters off of the verb ending.

Examples of the Future “Comer” Conjugation

• Yo comeré en el restaurante nuevo. (I will eat at the new restaurant.)
• Tú comerás con nosotros/as mañana. (You will eat with us tomorrow.)
• Él/ella comerá la comida que prepares. (He/she will eat the food you prepare.)
• Nosotros/as comeremos después del cine. (We will eat after the movies.)
• Vosotros/as comeréis en la fiesta. (You all will eat at the party.)
• Ellos/as comerán en casa de sus abuelos. (They will eat at their grandparents’ house.)

Conditional Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	comería
you	tú	comerías
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	comería
we	nosotros,nosotras	comeríamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	comeríais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	comerían

When We Use the Conditional Tense

The conditional tense is used to talk about hypothetical situations or actions that would happen under certain conditions. 

Verb conjugation for the conditional tense is also very easy to remember. We form “comer” (and any other Spanish verb) in the conditional tense by adding the appropriate endings to the infinitive form of the verb.

Just like the future tense, the conditional tense is VERY easy to learn.

I have provided examples below which show how to use the Spanish conditional tense and the imperfect subjunctive in the same sentences. 

Do this in your oral exams. You’ll score big! 🦉

Examples of the “Comer” in the Conditional Tense

• Yo comería si tuviera hambre. (I would eat if I were hungry.)
  BTW: Note that “tuviera” is a “tener” conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive form.
• Tú comerías más si te gustara la comida. (You would eat more if you liked the food.)
• Él/ella comería si hubiera tiempo. (He/she would eat if there were time.)
• Nosotros/as comeríamos si estuviera listo. (We would eat if it were ready.)
  BTW: Note that “estuviera” is an “estar” conjugation in the imperfect subjunctive form.
• Vosotros/as comeríais si no estuvierais ocupados. (You all would eat if you weren’t busy.)
• Ellos/Ellas comerían si les invitaras. (They would eat if you invited them.)

Pretérito Perfecto (Perfect Tense)

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	he	comido
you	tú	has	comido
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	ha	comido
we	nosotros,nosotras	hemos	comido
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habéis	comido
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	han	comido

When We Use the Pretérito Perfecto Tense

The perfect tense allows us to talk about actions that have been completed recently or that have relevance to the present. 

For every single Spanish verb, not just regular verbs like “comer,” conjugation involves using the auxiliary verb “haber” in the present tense followed by the past participle of the verb.

Sounds complex, right? Trust me, it’s very easy. Just conjugate “haber” (to have) as per the conjugation chart above. 

Just remove the -er ending and adopt the past participle “ido”. This becomes “comido”.

Examples of the Verb “Comer” in the Pretérito Perfecto Tense

• Yo he comido toda la comida. (I have eaten all the food.)
• Tú has comido aquí antes. (You have eaten here before.)
• Él/ella ha comido mucho hoy. (He/she has eaten a lot today.)
• Nosotros/as hemos comido juntos/as muchas veces. (We have eaten together many times.)
• Vosotros/as habéis comido en este restaurante. (You all have eaten at this restaurant.)
• Ellos/as han comido comida italiana. (They have eaten Italian food.)

Pluperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	había	comido
you	tú	habías	comido
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	había	comido
we	nosotros,nosotras	habíamos	comido
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habíais	comido
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habían	comido

When We Use the Pluperfect Tense

The pluperfect tense is used to talk about actions that had been completed before another past action. 

Again, all Spanish verbs, not just regular -er verbs like “comer” are conjugated by using the auxiliary verb “haber” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of the verb.

In this case, it’s “comido”.

Examples of the Verb “Comer” in the Pluperfect Tense

• Yo había comido antes de llegar. (I had eaten before arriving.)
• Tú habías comido toda la comida cuando llegué. (You had eaten all the food when I arrived.)
• Él había comido ya. (He/she had already eaten.)
• Nosotros/as habíamos comido cuando empezó la película. (We had eaten when the movie started.)
• Vosotros/as habíais comido antes de salir. (You all had eaten before leaving.)
• Ellos/as habían comido comida rápida. (They had eaten fast food.)

Future Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	habré	comido
you	tú	habrás	comido
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habrá	comido
we	nosotros,nosotras	habremos	comido
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habréis	comido
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrán	comido

When We Use the Future Perfect

The future perfect is used to talk about actions that will have been completed by a certain point in the future. 

This is not tough to remember. Just learn how to conjugate “haber” in this tense, then use the past participle of the main verb (in this case “comido”).

Examples of the Future Perfect “Comer” Conjugation

• Yo habré comido antes de la reunión. (I will have eaten before the meeting.)
• Tú habrás comido cuando llegue. (You will have eaten by the time I arrive.)
• Él habrá comido toda la comida para entonces. (He/she will have eaten all the food by then.)
• Nosotros/as habremos comido antes de salir. (We will have eaten before leaving.)
• Vosotros/as habréis comido cuando empiece la película. (You all will have eaten when the movie starts.)
• Ellos/as habrán comido todo el postre para cuando lleguemos. (They will have eaten all the dessert by the time we arrive.)

Conditional Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	habría	comido
you	tú	habrías	comido
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habría	comido
we	nosotros,nosotras	habríamos	comido
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habríais	comido
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrían	comido

When We Use the Conditional Perfect Tense

Next, we have the conditional perfect tense. Do you remember the conditional means “would?” 

The conditional perfect means “would have”. For example, “I would have eaten”. 

In Spanish, we use this tense to talk about actions that would have been completed under certain conditions in the past.

Again, we need to conjugate the auxiliary verb “haber” then take the past participle. 

Examples of the Conditional Perfect “Comer” Conjugation

• Yo habría comido si hubiera tenido hambre. (I would have eaten if I had been hungry.)
• Tú habrías comido más si te hubiera gustado la comida. (You would have eaten more if you had liked the food.)
• Él habría comido si hubiera tenido tiempo. (He would have eaten if there had been time.)
• Nosotros/as habríamos comido si hubiera estado listo. (We would have eaten if it had been ready.)
• Vosotros/as habríais comido si no hubierais estado ocupados. (You all would have eaten if you hadn’t been busy.)
• Ellos/as habrían comido si les hubieras invitado. (They would have eaten if you had invited them.)

Present Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	coma
you	tú	comas
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	coma
we	nosotros,nosotras	comamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	comáis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	coman

When We Use the Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive causes learners lots of trouble. I expand on this in this Guide to Spanish Verbs. 

I won’t delve into use cases now, but remember to use the Spanish subjunctive to express doubts, wishes, emotions, or possibilities. 

Regular -er verbs like “comer” are conjugated by changing the: 

• • –er ending to -a for the yo

• -as for tú 

• -a for él/ella 

• -amos for nosotros/as

• -áis for vosotros/as

• -an for ellos/as.

Examples of the Present Subjunctive “Comer” Conjugation

• Es importante que yo coma bien. (It’s important that I eat well.)
• Espero que tú comas pronto. (I hope you eat soon.)
• Quiero que él coma frutas. (I want him/her to eat fruit.)
• Es necesario que nosotros/as comamos suficiente. (It’s necessary that we eat enough.)
• Recomiendo que vosotros/as comáis despacio. (I recommend that you all eat slowly.)
• Dudo que ellos/as coman toda la comida. (I doubt they will eat all the food.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	comiera, comiese
you	tú	comieras, comieses
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	comiera, comiese
we	nosotros,nosotras	comiéramos, comiésemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	comierais, comieseis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	comieran, comiesen

When We Use the Imperfect Subjunctive

Just like the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive is used to express doubts, wishes, or possibilities, but this time in the past. 

Examples of the Verb “Comer” in the Imperfect Subjunctive

• Yo prefería que tú comieras en casa. (I preferred you to eat at home.)
• Era necesario que ella comiera antes de salir. (It was necessary for her to eat before leaving.)
• Me gustaría que nosotros/as comiéramos juntos/as más a menudo. (I would like for us to eat together more often.)
• Sería bueno que vosotros/as comierais más verduras. (It would be good for you all to eat more vegetables.)
• Dudábamos que ellos/as comieran todo el postre. (We doubted they would eat all the dessert.)
• Ojalá que hubiéramos comido más antes. (I wish we had eaten more before.)

Affirmative Imperative 

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
you	tú	¡come!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡coma!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡comamos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡comed!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡coman!

When We Use The Affirmative Imperative

The affirmative imperative mood in Spanish is used to give commands or make suggestions in a positive manner. 

For a regular -er verb like “comer,” the conjugation pattern involves using the verb’s stem directly for the tú form and adding the appropriate verbs ending.

Positive commands are used to directly instruct someone to do something. 

The first person plural form (nosotros/as) can also be used to make suggestions or issue invitations.

Examples of the Spanish Verb “Comer” in The Affirmative Imperative

• ¡Come todo lo que hay en el plato! (Eat everything on the plate!)
• Comamos juntos/as esta noche. (Let’s eat together tonight.)
• Comed con moderación. (Eat in moderation.)
• Coman más verduras. (Eat more vegetables.)
• ¡Comed el postre después! (Have dessert afterward.)
• Coman la comida antes de que se enfríe. (Eat the food before it gets cold.)

Negative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
you	tú	¡no comas!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡no coma!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡no comamos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡no comáis!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡no coman!

When We Use The Negative Imperative

The negative imperative mood in Spanish is used to give commands or make suggestions in a negative manner. Negative commands are used to instruct someone not to do something.

This Spanish verb conjugation involves using the present subjunctive form, which is the same for all subjects.

Examples of the Spanish Verb “Comer” in The Negative Imperative

• ¡No comas toda la comida! (Don’t eat all the food!)
• No comamos aquí. (Let’s not eat here.)
• No comáis demasiado. (Don’t eat too much.)
• No coman entre horas. (Don’t eat between meals.)
• ¡No comáis el postre todavía! (Don’t eat the dessert yet!)
• No coman comida rápida muy seguido. (Don’t eat fast food too often.)

Online Spanish Courses & Grammar Courses

I hope you found this “comer” conjugation guide useful. 🙂

For a full list of Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced Courses, check out this full list of online Spanish courses. 

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The fastest way to learn Spanish is to test a mixture of Spanish resources and choose the course that coincides most with your learning style. 

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