🍽️ Meals

⏱ 9 min read

In this section you'll learn useful English vocabulary for meals, eating, drinking, and talking about when and what you eat. Each English word or phrase includes translations in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

🟢 Basic Meals

☀️ Breakfast

🇪🇸 Spanish: Desayuno
🇫🇷 French: Petit-déjeuner
🇩🇪 German: Frühstück
🇮🇹 Italian: Colazione
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Café da manhã / Pequeno-almoço
🍽️ Lunch

🇪🇸 Spanish: Almuerzo / Comida
🇫🇷 French: Déjeuner
🇩🇪 German: Mittagessen
🇮🇹 Italian: Pranzo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Almoço
🌙 Dinner

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cena
🇫🇷 French: Dîner
🇩🇪 German: Abendessen
🇮🇹 Italian: Cena
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jantar
🍎 Snack

🇪🇸 Spanish: Merienda / Tentempié
🇫🇷 French: En-cas
🇩🇪 German: Snack / Imbiss
🇮🇹 Italian: Spuntino
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lanche
🍰 Dessert

🇪🇸 Spanish: Postre
🇫🇷 French: Dessert
🇩🇪 German: Nachtisch / Dessert
🇮🇹 Italian: Dolce
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sobremesa
🍴 Meal

🇪🇸 Spanish: Comida
🇫🇷 French: Repas
🇩🇪 German: Mahlzeit
🇮🇹 Italian: Pasto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Refeição

🟡 Eating & Drinking

🍴 To eat

🇪🇸 Spanish: Comer
🇫🇷 French: Manger
🇩🇪 German: Essen
🇮🇹 Italian: Mangiare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Comer
🥤 To drink

🇪🇸 Spanish: Beber
🇫🇷 French: Boire
🇩🇪 German: Trinken
🇮🇹 Italian: Bere
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Beber
👨‍🍳 To cook

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cocinar
🇫🇷 French: Cuisiner
🇩🇪 German: Kochen
🇮🇹 Italian: Cucinare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cozinhar
☀️ To have breakfast

🇪🇸 Spanish: Desayunar
🇫🇷 French: Prendre le petit-déjeuner
🇩🇪 German: Frühstücken
🇮🇹 Italian: Fare colazione
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tomar café da manhã
🍽️ To have lunch

🇪🇸 Spanish: Almorzar
🇫🇷 French: Déjeuner
🇩🇪 German: Zu Mittag essen
🇮🇹 Italian: Pranzare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Almoçar
🌙 To have dinner

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cenar
🇫🇷 French: Dîner
🇩🇪 German: Zu Abend essen
🇮🇹 Italian: Cenare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Jantar
🍳 To prepare

🇪🇸 Spanish: Preparar
🇫🇷 French: Préparer
🇩🇪 German: Vorbereiten
🇮🇹 Italian: Preparare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Preparar
🍽️ To serve

🇪🇸 Spanish: Servir
🇫🇷 French: Servir
🇩🇪 German: Servieren
🇮🇹 Italian: Servire
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Servir

🍽️ Parts of a Meal

🥗 Appetizer / Starter

🇪🇸 Spanish: Entrante / Aperitivo
🇫🇷 French: Entrée / Apéritif
🇩🇪 German: Vorspeise
🇮🇹 Italian: Antipasto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Entrada
🍲 First course

🇪🇸 Spanish: Primer plato
🇫🇷 French: Premier plat
🇩🇪 German: Erster Gang
🇮🇹 Italian: Primo piatto
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Primeiro prato
🍗 Main course

🇪🇸 Spanish: Plato principal
🇫🇷 French: Plat principal
🇩🇪 German: Hauptgericht
🇮🇹 Italian: Piatto principale
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Prato principal
🥗 Side dish

🇪🇸 Spanish: Guarnición / Acompañamiento
🇫🇷 French: Accompagnement
🇩🇪 German: Beilage
🇮🇹 Italian: Contorno
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Acompanhamento
🍰 Dessert

🇪🇸 Spanish: Postre
🇫🇷 French: Dessert
🇩🇪 German: Nachtisch
🇮🇹 Italian: Dolce
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Sobremesa
🥤 Drink / Beverage

🇪🇸 Spanish: Bebida
🇫🇷 French: Boisson
🇩🇪 German: Getränk
🇮🇹 Italian: Bevanda
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bebida

😋 Useful Meal Expressions

😋 I'm hungry.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tengo hambre.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai faim.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe Hunger.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho fame.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Estou com fome.
🥤 I'm thirsty.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tengo sed.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai soif.
🇩🇪 German: Ich habe Durst.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho sete.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Estou com sede.
😊 Enjoy your meal!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡Buen provecho!
🇫🇷 French: Bon appétit !
🇩🇪 German: Guten Appetit!
🇮🇹 Italian: Buon appetito!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Bom apetite!
🍽️ I'm full.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Estoy lleno / llena.
🇫🇷 French: Je suis rassasié(e).
🇩🇪 German: Ich bin satt.
🇮🇹 Italian: Sono sazio / sazia.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Estou satisfeito(a).
😋 It's delicious.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Está delicioso.
🇫🇷 French: C'est délicieux.
🇩🇪 German: Es ist lecker.
🇮🇹 Italian: È delizioso.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Está delicioso.
🍴 Let's eat!

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¡A comer!
🇫🇷 French: À table !
🇩🇪 German: Lasst uns essen!
🇮🇹 Italian: Mangiamo!
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vamos comer!

🌎 Meal Times & English Usage

☀️ Breakfast is the first meal of the day, usually eaten in the morning before work or school.
🍽️ Lunch is the midday meal. In most English-speaking countries it is eaten between about 12:00 and 2:00 p.m.
🍎 A snack is a small amount of food eaten between meals. Snacks can be sweet or savory.
🌙 Dinner is usually the largest meal of the day and is commonly eaten in the evening. Some families also use the word supper for the evening meal.

🧠 Useful Grammar Tip

In English, we normally say have with meals instead of using a special verb.

I have breakfast at eight.
🇪🇸 Desayuno a las ocho.
🇫🇷 Je prends le petit-déjeuner à huit heures.
🇩🇪 Ich frühstücke um acht Uhr.
🇮🇹 Faccio colazione alle otto.
🇵🇹 Tomo café da manhã às oito.

We have lunch together.
🇪🇸 Almorzamos juntos.
🇫🇷 Nous déjeunons ensemble.
🇩🇪 Wir essen zusammen zu Mittag.
🇮🇹 Pranziamo insieme.
🇵🇹 Almoçamos juntos.

We have dinner at home.
🇪🇸 Cenamos en casa.
🇫🇷 Nous dînons à la maison.
🇩🇪 Wir essen zu Hause zu Abend.
🇮🇹 Ceniamo a casa.
🇵🇹 Jantamos em casa.
English uses the verb to be to talk about hunger and thirst.

I'm hungry.
🇪🇸 Tengo hambre.
🇫🇷 J'ai faim.
🇩🇪 Ich habe Hunger.
🇮🇹 Ho fame.
🇵🇹 Estou com fome.

I'm thirsty.
🇪🇸 Tengo sed.
🇫🇷 J'ai soif.
🇩🇪 Ich habe Durst.
🇮🇹 Ho sete.
🇵🇹 Estou com sede.

Beginner Tip: Unlike Spanish (tener hambre, tener sed), English says I'm hungry and I'm thirsty using the verb to be.

💬 Common Meal Phrases

☀️ I have breakfast at seven in the morning.

🇪🇸 Desayuno a las siete de la mañana.
🇫🇷 Je prends le petit-déjeuner à sept heures du matin.
🇩🇪 Ich frühstücke um sieben Uhr morgens.
🇮🇹 Faccio colazione alle sette del mattino.
🇵🇹 Tomo café da manhã às sete da manhã.
🍽️ We eat together every day.

🇪🇸 Comemos juntos todos los días.
🇫🇷 Nous mangeons ensemble tous les jours.
🇩🇪 Wir essen jeden Tag zusammen.
🇮🇹 Mangiamo insieme ogni giorno.
🇵🇹 Comemos juntos todos os dias.
🌙 What are we having for dinner tonight?

🇪🇸 ¿Qué vamos a cenar esta noche?
🇫🇷 Qu'est-ce qu'on mange ce soir ?
🇩🇪 Was essen wir heute Abend?
🇮🇹 Cosa mangiamo stasera?
🇵🇹 O que vamos jantar esta noite?
🍰 Would you like dessert after dinner?

🇪🇸 ¿Quieres postre después de cenar?
🇫🇷 Voulez-vous un dessert après le dîner ?
🇩🇪 Möchtest du nach dem Abendessen einen Nachtisch?
🇮🇹 Vuoi un dolce dopo cena?
🇵🇹 Você quer sobremesa depois do jantar?

💬 Everyday Conversations

At home

A: What's for lunch?
B: Today we're having soup, rice, and chicken.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Qué hay para el almuerzo?
🇪🇸 B: Hoy hay sopa, arroz y pollo.
Making dinner plans

A: What time are we having dinner?
B: We're having dinner at eight.

🇪🇸 A: ¿A qué hora cenamos?
🇪🇸 B: Cenamos a las ocho.
After the meal

A: Would you like some dessert?
B: No, thank you. I'm full.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Quieres un poco de postre?
🇪🇸 B: No, gracias. Estoy lleno.

📝 Example Sentences

🍲 The soup is hot and delicious.

🇪🇸 Spanish: La sopa está caliente y deliciosa.
🇫🇷 French: La soupe est chaude et délicieuse.
🇩🇪 German: Die Suppe ist heiß und lecker.
🇮🇹 Italian: La zuppa è calda e deliziosa.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A sopa está quente e deliciosa.
🥤 I drink water with every meal.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Bebo agua con todas las comidas.
🇫🇷 French: Je bois de l'eau à chaque repas.
🇩🇪 German: Ich trinke zu jeder Mahlzeit Wasser.
🇮🇹 Italian: Bevo acqua a ogni pasto.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Eu bebo água em todas as refeições.
👨‍🍳 My mother cooks very well on weekends.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Mi madre cocina muy bien los fines de semana.
🇫🇷 French: Ma mère cuisine très bien le week-end.
🇩🇪 German: Meine Mutter kocht am Wochenende sehr gut.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mia madre cucina molto bene nei fine settimana.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Minha mãe cozinha muito bem nos fins de semana.
🍎 I have a light snack in the afternoon.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Como una merienda ligera por la tarde.
🇫🇷 French: Je prends une collation légère l'après-midi.
🇩🇪 German: Ich esse am Nachmittag einen leichten Snack.
🇮🇹 Italian: Faccio uno spuntino leggero nel pomeriggio.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Faço um lanche leve à tarde.
🍽️ We have lunch together at noon.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Almorzamos juntos al mediodía.
🇫🇷 French: Nous déjeunons ensemble à midi.
🇩🇪 German: Wir essen mittags zusammen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Pranziamo insieme a mezzogiorno.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Almoçamos juntos ao meio-dia.
🌙 We usually have dinner at home.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Normalmente cenamos en casa.
🇫🇷 French: Nous dînons habituellement à la maison.
🇩🇪 German: Normalerweise essen wir zu Hause zu Abend.
🇮🇹 Italian: Di solito ceniamo a casa.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Normalmente jantamos em casa.

🏆 Final Practice

Try saying each English phrase before pressing play.

  • I'm hungry.
  • I'm thirsty.
  • What's for lunch?
  • What time are we having dinner?
  • The food is delicious.
  • Enjoy your meal!