comamos

Comamos is a form of the Spanish verb comer, meaning to eat. It is the first-person plural form used in two related grammatical contexts: the present subjunctive mood and the affirmative nosotros imperative (the hortatory form), and is commonly translated as “let us eat.”

Grammatical uses and examples: As present subjunctive, comamos appears in subordinate clauses that require the subjunctive, such as after expressions of doubt, desire, or possibility: Es posible que comamos temprano. As a hortatory imperative, it can stand alone to propose a group action: Comamos ya. In everyday speech it conveys the sense of a suggestion or invitation to eat together, as in Comamos antes de salir.

Pronunciation and morphology: Comamos is pronounced /koˈma.mos/, with the stress on the second syllable. It is formed from the infinitive comer, using the prefix for the nosotros form in the present subjunctive and in the affirmative nosotros command. Other conjugations of comer include como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen, illustrating the relationship of comamos to the verb’s various forms.

Notes and related forms: Comamos is distinct from the indicative form comemos (we eat) and from other subjunctive and imperative forms such as comas, coma, comáis, coman. Its dual use as both subjunctive and hortatory makes it a versatile expression for inviting or proposing a meal.

See also: comer; Spanish verbs conjugation; present subjunctive.