¿Qué hay de la cena?
What about dinner?
In a tense family argument, la cena stands for an evening together that someone wants explained.
From Miedo a la lluvia · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "dinner" in Spanish
la cena
nounfeminineplural: las cenasverb: cenar
"Dinner" in Spanish is la cena, and the verb cenar means to have dinner. The word is feminine, so dinner is ready is La cena está lista.
Hear "cena" in real movie scenes
A tense question and a mix-up about the date. Each video starts and stops on that line.
La cena no es esta noche, es mañana.
The dinner isn't tonight, it's tomorrow.
On the couch, someone sorts out a mix-up about when the dinner is. To say when an event happens, Spanish uses ser.
From Una cena para tontos · Spanish audio
The meals of the day
Dinner is the last one. Here's the full set.
| Spanish | Meal | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| el desayuno | breakfast | The verb is desayunar, to have breakfast. |
| el almuerzo | lunch | The usual word for lunch in most of Latin America. |
| la comida | lunch | In Spain, the big midday meal. It also means food in general. |
| la merienda | afternoon snack | A small bite between lunch and dinner. |
| la cena | dinner, supper | The verb is cenar, to have dinner. |
Tip: In Spain people often have dinner late, around nine in the evening or even later.
Grammar: la cena, cenar
Four points, from the article to the verb.
It's feminine
la cena, las cenas. Adjectives agree with it: una cena tranquila.A verb of its own
cenar means to have dinner: ¿Cenamos? Shall we have dinner? You don't need comer for it.Ser for the event, estar for the food
La cena es mañana. The dinner is tomorrow. La cena está lista. Dinner is ready.The c
In Latin America ce sounds like se: SEH-nah. In most of Spain it sounds like the th in think.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
La cena está en la mesa.
Dinner is on the table.
¿Qué tal la cena?
How was dinner?
La cena es muy tarde.
Dinner is very late.
La cena no es esta noche, es mañana.
The dinner isn't tonight, it's tomorrow.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗el cena
✓la cena
Cena is feminine, like most nouns that end in -a.
✗La cena está mañana
✓La cena es mañana
To say when an event takes place, use ser.
✗Voy a comer la cena
✓Voy a cenar
Spanish has its own verb for having dinner. Use cenar.
Real conversation: too tired for dinner
A short dialog with your sister, late in the evening.
It's late and you're on the couch. Your older sister Alba is still watching TV, but you can barely keep your eyes open.
¡Uy, qué tarde es! ¿Y la cena?
Wow, it's so late! What about dinner?
No, voy a acostarme.
No, I'm going to bed.
Vale. ¿Y a qué hora te despiertas?
Okay. And what time do you wake up?
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 27 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
The Last Supper is la Última Cena in Spanish. Picture that long table, and the word for dinner comes back to you.
Questions about "dinner" in Spanish
How do you say dinner in Spanish?
La cena. To have dinner is cenar.
Is cena masculine or feminine?
Feminine: la cena, las cenas.
How do you say "dinner is ready" in Spanish?
La cena está lista. Use estar, because being ready is a state.
What's the difference between cena and comida?
La cena is the evening meal. La comida means food, and in Spain it's also the big midday meal.
