Comer vs. comerse
In Spanish, both comer and comerse can be translated to to eat in English, but they have slightly different uses and connotations.
Comer
A1Comer is the basic verb that means to eat. It is used generally when referring to the act of eating.
Voy a comer una manzana.
(I am going to eat an apple.)
¿Quieres comer algo?
(Do you want to eat something?)
Comemos juntos todos los domingos.
(We eat together every Sunday.)
Comerse
A2Comerse is a pronominal form and implies eating up or consuming something entirely. It often adds emphasis or indicates that something specific is being eaten completely.
Se comió todo el pastel.
(He ate up the whole cake.)
Los niños se comieron las galletas.
(The children ate up the cookies.)
Me voy a comer este sándwich.
(I am going to eat up this sandwich.)
Summary
While comer is used for the general act of eating, comerse emphasizes the act of consuming something entirely. The choice between them depends on whether you want to specify that the entirety of something is eaten.