verbbasicLetter E

English to Somali dictionary

eat in Somali

To take food into the body

Page type: Learning page
Review: Source reviewed

everyday

Reviewed August 4, 2026Review record: Codex source audit

This entry has been checked against the references below, but a named Somali reviewer has not yet certified its dialect, register, and natural usage. Verify important communication with a qualified speaker.

Translation

Somali meanings

cun[1]

To take food into the body

Useful combinations

Common phrases with eat

eat food

cunto cun[1]

Cunto means food, cun means eat.

eat breakfast

quraac cun[1]

come eat

kaalay cun[1]

A common Somali invitation to share a meal.

I am full, I cannot eat more.

Waan dhergay, kama cuni karo inta kale.[1]

Real usage

Example sentences

I want to eat.

desire

Waan rabaa inaan cuno.[1]

She is eating rice.

present action

Bariis bay cunaysaa.[1]

We ate together.

past action

Wadajir ayaan wax u cunay.[1]

Eat this food.

command

Cuntadan cun.[1]

Do you eat meat?

question

Hilib ma cuntaa?[1]

Grammar

Grammar notes

Verb conjugation

Cun is the verb stem. It conjugates: waan cunay (I ate), waan cunaa (I eat habitually), waan cunayaa (I am eating), waan cuni doonaa (I will eat).[2]

Object placement

In Somali, the object often comes before the verb. Cunto cun follows a food eat pattern rather than the English eat food.[2]

Accuracy

Common mistakes

Using cun for drink

Use: cab[1]

Cun is only for eating solid food. Use cab for drinking liquids.

Forgetting the subject marker

Avoid: Aniga cun.

Use: Aniga waan cunay.[1]

Somali is a pro-drop language but needs tense markers — cun alone sounds like a command.

Keep learning

Dictionary words

food drink

Questions

Questions about eat in Somali

How do you say eat in Somali?

The Somali verb for eat is cun. It changes form depending on who is eating and when.

What is the difference between cun and cab?

Cun means to eat (solid food), while cab means to drink (liquids). They are never interchangeable in Somali.

Evidence

References checked

[1] Somali-English Dictionary (R. David Zorc)
Checked cun as the verb for eat and cunto as the related food noun.
Open source ↗
[2] Somali Textbook, Chapters 1-5 (Zorc and Issa)
Checked basic verb forms, focus particles, and object-before-verb patterns.
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