Comer
to eat
Presente
Current actions, habits, and general truths.
| eu | como | Eu como devagar para aproveitar cada mordida. — I eat slowly to savour every bite. |
| você/ele/ela | come | Ela come com os olhos antes de qualquer garfada. — She eats with her eyes before any forkful. |
| nós | comemos | Nós comemos juntos pelo menos uma vez por semana — regra da família. — We eat together at least once a week — family rule. |
| eles/elas | comem | Eles comem de tudo sem reclamar — um dom raro. — They eat everything without complaining — a rare gift. |
I eat with attention — every meal is a small pause in the day. My grandmother eats slowly and that is the most beautiful way to respect whoever cooked. We eat together on Fridays and the table is where the week gets sorted. How we eat says a lot about how we live.
Pret. Perfeito
Completed past actions — what happened.
| eu | comi | Eu comi o melhor pão de queijo da vida em Ouro Preto. — I ate the best cheese bread of my life in Ouro Preto. |
| você/ele/ela | comeu | Ela comeu tanto no almoço que pulou o jantar. — She ate so much at lunch she skipped dinner. |
| nós | comemos | Nós comemos sem parar durante a viagem — cada parada era uma descoberta. — We ate non-stop during the trip — every stop was a discovery. |
| eles/elas | comeram | Eles comeram o bolo inteiro antes da festa começar. — They ate the whole cake before the party started. |
The trip to Bahia was a feast for the palate. I ate caju moqueca for the first time and almost cried. My friend ate acarajé in the street with her hands and forgot that forks exist. We ate at stalls that had no name and had everything. Those who ate with fear missed the most authentic part of the trip.
Pret. Imperfeito
Ongoing or habitual past — what used to happen or was happening.
| eu | comia | Eu comia arroz com feijão todo dia e achava o máximo. — I used to eat rice and beans every day and loved it. |
| você/ele/ela | comia | Ela comia só quando tinha fome — equilíbrio de criança. — She used to eat only when hungry — a child's balance. |
| nós | comíamos | Nós comíamos na mesa da cozinha, juntos, sem celular. — We used to eat at the kitchen table, together, without phones. |
| eles/elas | comiam | Eles comiam qualquer coisa e pediam repetição. — They used to eat anything and ask for more. |
At my grandmother's house, I used to eat without watching the clock. I used to eat whatever she put on my plate and ask for more — it was automatic. My cousin used to be a selective eater and my grandmother respected it without commenting. We used to eat around a table that seemed bigger on the inside than the outside. The stories that ate alongside us were the most nourishing.
Futuro Informal
Plans and intentions — "going to." The most common future form in spoken BR Portuguese.
| eu | vou comer | Vou comer naquele restaurante novo que todo mundo recomenda. — I'm going to eat at that new restaurant everyone recommends. |
| você/ele/ela | vai comer | Ela vai comer o bolo que fez para o próprio aniversário. — She's going to eat the cake she made for her own birthday. |
| nós | vamos comer | Vamos comer o almoço de domingo juntos como antes. — We're going to eat Sunday lunch together like before. |
| eles/elas | vão comer | Eles vão comer o prato da casa sem hesitar. — They're going to eat the house speciality without hesitating. |
Sunday is coming and the menu is already decided. I'm going to eat feijão tropeiro that my mum is going to prepare. My dad is going to eat the meat he doesn't eat during the week — he saves it for the weekend. We're going to eat together and the day will be worth it for that. The children who are going to eat dessert before their main have already been warned.
Futuro Formal
Formal future — "shall/will." More common in writing than speech.
| eu | comerei | Comerei bem enquanto tiver saúde para apreciar. — I will eat well for as long as I have health to appreciate it. |
| você/ele/ela | comerá | Ela comerá o jantar que preparei com carinho. — She will eat the dinner I prepared with care. |
| nós | comeremos | Comeremos juntos no feriado — sem falta. — We will eat together on the bank holiday — without fail. |
| eles/elas | comerão | Os convidados comerão à farta na festa. — The guests will eat to their hearts' content at the party. |
The gastronomic itinerary was published: Participants will eat at the best regional restaurants. We will eat alongside local producers in a farm-to-table experience. The chefs will eat and evaluate the finalists' proposals. I will personally eat each dish before including it in the itinerary.
Condicional
Hypotheticals and polite requests — "would."
| eu | comeria | Eu comeria pizza todos os dias se o colesterol deixasse. — I would eat pizza every day if my cholesterol allowed. |
| você/ele/ela | comeria | Ela comeria mais se a ansiedade não fechasse o estômago. — She would eat more if anxiety didn't close her stomach. |
| nós | comeríamos | Comeríamos fora mais vezes se os preços fossem menores. — We would eat out more often if prices were lower. |
| eles/elas | comeriam | Eles comeriam melhor com mais tempo para cozinhar. — They would eat better with more time to cook. |
If time were infinite, I would eat more slowly and with more presence. My chef friend would eat at restaurants he can't afford with what he earns. We would eat better if healthy food were cheaper and more accessible. Children would eat more variety if they saw the adults around them doing the same.
Comer across the tenses
A short story using comer in multiple tenses
Minha avó comia por último — sempre. Comia o que sobrava, sem reclamar, com um sorriso que dizia que era o melhor pedaço. Nós comíamos sem perceber o gesto — só anos depois entendi o tamanho dele.
Hoje eu como pensando nela. Ontem comi arroz com feijão e senti que ela estava do outro lado da mesa. Comemos assim os afetos — em colheres cheias, sem palavra.
No próximo Natal, vou comer o peru que nunca aprendi a fazer direito. Se conseguir, comerei com a família toda olhando.
Perguntei a ela o que comeria se pudesse uma última vez. Ela respondeu: Comeria o que tivesse. Sempre foi o prato cheio de quem eu amava que importou — não o que havia nele.
My grandmother used to eat last — always. She used to eat what was left, without complaining, with a smile that said it was the best piece. We used to eat without noticing the gesture — only years later did I understand its size. Today I eat thinking of her. Yesterday I ate rice and beans and felt she was on the other side of the table. We eat affection like this — in full spoonfuls, without words. Next Christmas, I'm going to eat the turkey I never learned to make properly. If I manage it, I will eat with the whole family watching. I asked her what she would eat if she could one last time. She answered: I would eat whatever was there. It was always the full plate of those I loved that mattered — not what was on it.
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