How to Say Let's Eat in Spanish (Vamos a Comer)

Let’s eat in Spanish is vamos a comer — or, when the food is on the table and it’s time to dig in, just the punchy ¡a comer!. The two aren’t quite the same: vamos a comer is “let’s go eat” (heading to a meal, maybe out somewhere), while ¡a comer! is the call to the table, the Spanish equivalent of “food’s ready, come eat!” Both run on the verb comer (“to eat”), and both are everyday essentials.

The main way to say it

Vamos a comer — pronounced BAH-mohs ah koh-MEHR.

The pronunciation details that matter:

• Vamos = “BAH-mohs.” The Spanish v is a soft b, so it’s BAH, not VAH. Stress on the first syllable.
• Comer = “koh-MEHR,” stress on the second syllable, with a rolled-but-soft final r.
• The little a in the middle (“ah”) is essential — vamos a comer, never vamos comer.

The two forms and when to use them:

• Vamos a comer = let’s go eat / let’s have a meal. Uses the vamos a + infinitive structure (“we’re going to…”). Great for suggesting a meal out: vamos a comer tacos.
• ¡A comer! = to the table! / let’s eat! It’s the shout that calls everyone to sit down when the food is served. Short, warm, and very domestic.

Note: in Mexico, comer by default means the midday meal (the big one), while desayunar is breakfast and cenar is dinner. Vamos a comer often implies lunch specifically.

Variations

Phrase	Meaning	Register
Vamos a comer	Let’s go eat / let’s have a meal	Universal
¡A comer!	To the table! / let’s eat!	Casual, warm
¿Vamos a comer algo?	Shall we go grab something to eat?	Casual invite
¡Ya está la comida!	Food’s ready!	Casual, at home
¡A la mesa!	To the table!	Casual, family
Vamos a cenar	Let’s have dinner	Universal
¿Comemos?	Shall we eat?	Casual, direct
Provecho, a darle	Enjoy, dig in	Casual, Mexican
Siéntense a comer	Sit down to eat	Casual, family

At a Mexican home, the summons to eat is usually ¡ya está la comida! (“food’s ready!”) followed by ¡a comer! or ¡a la mesa!. A quick, casual “shall we eat?” between friends is simply ¿comemos? — one word does it.

Remember to match the meal verb: comer (lunch/eat), cenar (dinner), desayunar (breakfast). Vamos a cenar is “let’s have dinner.”

Hear it in context

Mom calling the family to the table (domestic):

— ¡Ya está la comida! ¡A comer! — Ya voy, mamá. ¿Qué hiciste? — Milanesas. Siéntense, se enfría. — ¡Provecho a todos!

Food’s ready! Let’s eat! — Coming, mom. What did you make? — Breaded cutlets. Sit down, it’s getting cold. — Enjoy, everyone!

Friends deciding to grab lunch (casual):

— Oye, ¿comemos? Ya es la una. — Va, vamos a comer. ¿Qué se te antoja? — Unos tacos al pastor, muero de hambre. — ¡Órale! Yo conozco un lugar buenísimo.

Hey, shall we eat? It’s already one. — Sure, let’s go eat. What are you craving? — Some al pastor tacos, I’m starving. — Cool! I know a great place.

Common mistakes

• “Vamos comer” (dropping the “a”). The structure requires the preposition: vamos a comer. English hides it (“let’s go eat”), but Spanish never drops it.
• Using “comer” for every meal. In Mexico, comer leans toward lunch. For dinner use cenar, for breakfast desayunar. Vamos a comer at 8 p.m. can sound off; vamos a cenar fits.
• Pronouncing “vamos” with an English “v.” It’s a soft b: BAH-mohs. This small fix upgrades your whole accent.
• Stressing “comer” on the first syllable. It’s koh-MEHR, stress on the second. “KOH-mer” sounds wrong.

Mexico vs Spain notes

Vamos a comer and ¡a comer! are universal — understood and used everywhere.

• The meaning of “comer” shifts by region: in Mexico and much of Latin America, comer implies the midday meal (lunch). In Spain, comer also means lunch specifically, so this one actually aligns — but note that in some countries almorzar is the more common word for “to have lunch.”
• ¡A la mesa! and ¡a comer! are used in both Mexico and Spain as the table call.
• Pronunciation is regionally neutral here; nothing lisps.

Related phrases

Mealtime is a little sequence from hunger to “dig in” — get the whole set:

• How to say I’m hungry in Spanish — the tengo hambre that kicks off “let’s eat.”
• How to say enjoy your meal in Spanish — the buen provecho once everyone’s seated.
• Round it out with our guide to common Spanish phrases.

FAQ

What’s the difference between “vamos a comer” and “¡a comer!”? Vamos a comer means “let’s go eat / let’s have a meal” — often heading out. ¡A comer! is the call to the table when food is served: “let’s eat / come and eat!” One suggests, the other summons.

Why do I need the “a” in “vamos a comer”? The vamos a + infinitive structure always keeps the a: vamos a comer, vamos a ver. English drops it (“let’s go eat”), but Spanish requires it.

Does “comer” mean lunch or just “to eat”? Both. Literally comer is “to eat,” but in Mexico it commonly refers to the midday meal (lunch). For dinner say cenar, for breakfast desayunar.

How do I say “shall we eat?” casually? Just ¿comemos? — one word. Or ¿vamos a comer algo? (“shall we go grab something to eat?”).

How do I call people to the table? ¡A comer!, ¡a la mesa!, or ¡ya está la comida! (“food’s ready!”). All are warm, everyday household calls.