The verb ‘comer’ – meaning ‘to eat’ – is one of the most common and important verbs in the Spanish language. It’s an ‘-er’ verb, and while it does follow many of the regular conjugation rules, learning all of its forms across various tenses can still pose some challenges. This comprehensive guide is aimed to help you understand the ‘comer’ conjugation chart, showcasing the conjugation for different tenses.
Let’s start with the present tense. As a regular ‘-er’ verb, ‘comer’ follows the regular conjugation pattern. Here’s the chart:
| Person | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I eat | Yo como |
| You (informal) eat | Tú comes |
| He/She/It eats/You (formal) eat | Él/Ella/Usted come |
| We eat | Nosotros/Nosotras comemos |
| You (plural, informal) eat | Vosotros/Vosotras coméis |
| They eat/You (plural, formal) eat | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comen |
Notice the typical ‘-er’ verb endings -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en added to the verb stem (‘com-‘).
The preterite tense is used to describe completed actions in the past. The conjugation for ‘comer’ is:
| Person | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I ate | Yo comí |
| You (informal) ate | Tú comiste |
| He/She/It ate/You (formal) ate | Él/Ella/Usted comió |
| We ate | Nosotros/Nosotras comimos |
| You (plural, informal) ate | Vosotros/Vosotras comisteis |
| They ate/You (plural, formal) ate | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comieron |
In the preterite tense, ‘comer’ is still regular, using the typical endings -í, -iste, -ió, -imos, -isteis, -ieron.
The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe ongoing or incomplete actions in the past. Here’s how ‘comer’ is conjugated:
| Person | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I was eating | Yo comía |
| You (informal) were eating | Tú comías |
| He/She/It was eating/You (formal) were eating | Él/Ella/Usted comía |
| We were eating | Nosotros/Nosotras comíamos |
| You (plural, informal) were eating | Vosotros/Vosotras comíais |
| They were eating/You (plural, formal) were eating | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comían |
Again, ‘comer’ follows the regular pattern for ‘-er’ verbs in the imperfect tense.
The future tense conjugation of ‘comer’ is:
| Person | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I will eat | Yo comeré |
| You (informal) will eat | Tú comerás |
| He/She/It will eat/You (formal) will eat | Él/Ella/Usted comerá |
| We will eat | Nosotros/Nosotras comeremos |
| You (plural, informal) will eat | Vosotros/Vosotras comeréis |
| They will eat/You (plural, formal) will eat | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comerán |
In the future tense, Spanish verbs are conjugated by adding the endings -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án directly to the infinitive form of the verb.
The conditional tense is used to express something that would happen under certain conditions. The conjugation for ‘comer’ is:
| Person | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I would eat | Yo comería |
| You (informal) would eat | Tú comerías |
| He/She/It would eat/You (formal) would eat | Él/Ella/Usted comería |
| We would eat | Nosotros/Nosotras comeríamos |
| You (plural, informal) would eat | Vosotros/Vosotras comeríais |
| They would eat/You (plural, formal) would eat | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes comerían |
For the conditional tense, you simply add the endings -ía, -ías, -ía, -íamos, -íais, -ían to the infinitive form of the verb.
The subjunctive mood is used to talk about desires, doubts, wishes, conjectures, and possibilities. The present subjunctive conjugation of ‘comer’ is:
| Person | Spanish |
|---|---|
| I eat | Yo coma |
| You (informal) eat | Tú comas |
| He/She/It eats/You (formal) eat | Él/Ella/Usted coma |
| We eat | Nosotros/Nosotras comamos |
| You (plural, informal) eat | Vosotros/Vosotras comáis |
| They eat/You (plural, formal) eat | Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes coman |
As a regular ‘-er’ verb, ‘comer’ follows the standard present subjunctive conjugation pattern, changing the -e- of the present indicative to -a-.
In conclusion, while the verb ‘comer’ is a regular verb and follows the standard conjugation rules for ‘-er’ verbs, practice is key to mastery. Regular practice will not only help you remember the conjugation but also understand its application in real-life conversations. Happy learning!
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