Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →English · CEFR Band 1 (A1) · Chapter 20
Food La comida
Alimentos y bebidas comunes: rice, bread, meat, fruit, vegetables, water, milk, juice. El punto clave es contable vs incontable. Alimentos como rice, bread y water son INCONTABLES — sin "a" y sin plural. Usa SOME en frases positivas (I'd like some rice) y ANY en preguntas y negativas (Do you have any bread? I don't have any water). Además, para decir que tienes hambre o sed, el inglés usa BE + adjetivo: I'm hungry, I'm thirsty. Y "delicious" describe la comida: The food is delicious. Palabras nuevas: rice, bread, meat, fruit, vegetable, water, milk, juice, delicious, hungry. Sección cultural: comer fuera y la propina.
Dialogue
a rice or some rice? — ¿a rice o some rice?
- Emma Minsu, are you hungry? Minsu, ¿tienes hambre?
- Minsu Yes. I want a rice. Sí. Quiero un arroz. (desliz: rice es incontable — di "some rice", sin "a")
- Emma Rice is uncountable: some rice. rice es incontable: some rice.
- Minsu Oh, I'd like some rice and some water. Ah, quiero algo de arroz y agua.
Dialogue
So delicious! — ¡Qué rico!
- Jack Emma, what do you eat? Emma, ¿qué comes?
- Emma I eat some meat and some vegetables. It's delicious. Como algo de carne y verdura. Está delicioso.
- Jack And what do you drink? ¿Y qué bebes?
- Emma I drink some juice. Would you like some fruit? Bebo algo de jugo. ¿Quieres algo de fruta?
Vocabulary
| 汉字 | Pinyin | POS | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| rice | n. | arroz | |
| bread | n. | pan | |
| meat | n. | carne | |
| fruit | n. | fruta | |
| vegetable | n. | verdura | |
| water | n. | agua | |
| milk | n. | leche | |
| juice | n. | jugo | |
| delicious | adj. | delicioso | |
| hungry | adj. | hambriento (tener hambre) |
Grammar
Some / any and "I'm hungry" Some / any y "I'm hungry"
Some foods can be counted (an apple, two apples), but many cannot: rice, bread, water, milk, meat. These UNCOUNTABLE nouns take NO "a" and have NO plural — you cannot say "a rice" or "two rices". Instead, use SOME in positive sentences: I'd like some rice, some water. Use ANY in questions and negatives: Do you have any bread? I don't have any milk. Second point: to say you are hungry or thirsty, English uses BE + an adjective — I'm hungry, I'm thirsty (not "I have hunger"). And "delicious" describes food: The food is delicious.
Algunos alimentos se cuentan (an apple, two apples), pero muchos no: rice, bread, water, milk, meat. Estos sustantivos INCONTABLES no llevan "a" y no tienen plural — no se dice "a rice" ni "two rices". En su lugar, usa SOME en frases positivas: I'd like some rice, some water. Usa ANY en preguntas y negativas: Do you have any bread? I don't have any milk. Segundo punto: para decir que tienes hambre o sed, el inglés usa BE + adjetivo — I'm hungry, I'm thirsty (no "I have hunger"). Y "delicious" describe la comida: The food is delicious.
- I'm hungry. I'd like some rice and some bread. Tengo hambre. Quiero algo de arroz y pan.
- I'm thirsty. I drink some water. Tengo sed. Bebo algo de agua.
- The meat is delicious and the fruit is delicious. La carne está deliciosa y la fruta está deliciosa.
- Do you have any milk? — No, but I have some juice. ¿Tienes leche? — No, pero tengo algo de jugo.
Culture
Eating out and tipping Comer fuera y la propina
Comer fuera es una gran parte de la vida en los países de habla inglesa — y viene con algunas costumbres que pueden sorprender a los visitantes, sobre todo la de la propina y los constantes "please" y "thank you".
Salir a comer
From cafés and diners to takeaway and food trucks, eating out is casual and common. You often seat yourself in a café but wait to be seated in a nicer restaurant. A server takes your order, brings the food, and later brings the bill (in the US, the "check"). Portions can be large, and it is normal to take leftovers home in a box.
La propina
In the United States, tipping is expected, not optional: 15–20% of the bill for a server is normal, because their wages are low. In the UK, Australia and elsewhere it is more relaxed — often 10% or a service charge already added. When in doubt, look at the bill for "service included", and if it is not there and the service was good, leave a tip.
"please" y "thank you"
English speakers say "please" and "thank you" a lot — far more than seems necessary to many learners. "Can I have the menu, please?" sounds polite; "Give me the menu" sounds rude. Add "please" to requests and "thank you" to almost anything. A friendly "How are you?" from a server is small talk, not a real question — "Good, thanks, and you?" is the perfect reply.
En resumen: comer fuera es informal y amistoso, pero recuerda dejar propina (sobre todo en EE. UU.) y salpicar "please" y "thank you". Un cálido "Thank you, that was delicious!" al camarero vale mucho. ¡Buen provecho!
pronunciation
Want to actually learn this — with audio, spaced repetition and progress tracking?
Study in the app →