I Haven’t Eaten Yet in Spanish | Say It With Confidence

The most natural phrase is “Todavía no he comido.”

You’re about to meet friends, your host asks if you’re hungry, or a coworker suggests lunch. You want to say “I haven’t eaten yet” in Spanish without sounding stiff, rude, or odd. Good news: Spanish has a clean, everyday way to say it, plus a few swaps that fit the moment.

This article gives you the go-to sentence, the best alternates, and the tiny word-order choices that change the vibe. You’ll also get ready-to-use replies for common situations, so you don’t freeze mid-conversation.

I Haven’t Eaten Yet in Spanish: Natural Ways To Say It

The default option in most settings is:

Todavía no he comido.

It’s simple: todavía means “still/yet,” no is “not,” and he comido is “I have eaten.” Put together, it lands as “I still haven’t eaten,” which matches how Spanish speakers often phrase it.

If you want the same meaning with a slightly different rhythm, you can also say:

• No he comido todavía.
• Aún no he comido.
• No he comido aún.

Those four sentences all work. Your choice mainly depends on what sounds easiest to you and what you’ve been hearing around you.

What Each Piece Means, In Plain Terms

“He comido” is a handy core

He comido comes from the verb comer (“to eat”). Spanish builds this with haber + a past participle:

• haber (I have) → he
• comer (to eat) → participle comido

So he comido is “I have eaten.” Add no and you get no he comido (“I haven’t eaten”). Add todavía or aún and you get “yet/still.”

“Todavía” and “Aún” both mean “yet”

In this use, todavía and aún can mean the same thing. The RAE definition for “todavía” lists this “up to now” sense and ties it closely to aún.

If you write aún with an accent mark, it lines up with “todavía.” If you write aun without the accent mark, it often means “even.” The safest move while you’re learning: use todavía when you mean “yet,” and use aún only when you’re sure you want the “yet” meaning.

The spelling rule is laid out in the RAE note on “aún/aun”, and Fundéu gives the same rule in its guidance: “aún” equals “todavía,” “aun” equals “incluso”.

Word Order That Sounds Natural, Not Textbook

Spanish lets you place “todavía/aún” in more than one spot. Each option feels a bit different in conversation.

Option A: “Todavía no…” (front-loaded, direct)

Todavía no he comido.

This often feels like the cleanest reply when someone just asked you. It gets the “not yet” part out first.

Option B: “…todavía” (a touch softer)

No he comido todavía.

This one can feel slightly more casual, like you’re adding “yet” as a tail end. If you’re chatting and not trying to be formal, this is an easy default.

Option C: Swap in “aún” (same idea, different flavor)

Aún no he comido. / No he comido aún.

These are fine, too. If you’re unsure about accents when typing, stick with “todavía” and you’ll avoid the “aun/aún” trap.

Choose The Right Verb For The Meal, Not Just “Comer”

“I haven’t eaten yet” can mean “I haven’t had any food,” or it can mean “I haven’t had breakfast/lunch/dinner.” Spanish often prefers naming the meal when that’s what you mean.

Breakfast, lunch, dinner

• Todavía no he desayunado. (I haven’t had breakfast yet.)
• Todavía no he almorzado. (I haven’t had lunch yet.)
• Todavía no he cenado. (I haven’t had dinner yet.)

These can sound more precise than comer when the context is clearly one meal.

“Anything at all” emphasis

If you want to stress that you’ve had nothing, add nada:

Todavía no he comido nada.

This is useful when someone assumes you already ate. It also works when you want to signal, gently, that you’re ready for food soon.

What To Say In Common Real-Life Moments

Here are natural lines you can drop into conversation without sounding rehearsed. Use them as templates and swap in the meal if you want.

When someone invites you to eat

• Todavía no he comido. ¿Vamos? (I haven’t eaten yet. Shall we go?)
• No he comido todavía. Me viene bien. (I haven’t eaten yet. That works for me.)

When you need a short reply

• No, todavía no. (No, not yet.)
• Aún no. (Not yet.)

These are short on purpose. They’re normal when the question is already clear, like “Have you eaten?”

When you want to be polite with a host

• Todavía no he comido, gracias.
• No he comido todavía, gracias por preguntar.

Add gracias and your tone lands warm without needing extra words.

When you’re explaining a delay

• Todavía no he comido, así que voy a parar un momento. (I haven’t eaten yet, so I’m going to stop for a moment.)
• No he comido todavía y tengo que comer algo. (I haven’t eaten yet and I need to eat something.)

If you want a language authority for small usage doubts, the Diccionario panhispánico de dudas is a solid reference for everyday questions about Spanish norms.

Phrase Bank Table For Fast Picking

The table below gives you a quick “pick the line” menu. Choose based on what you mean and how direct you want to be.

Situation	Spanish Phrase	When It Fits Best
Simple “not yet” reply	No, todavía no.	Someone just asked if you’ve eaten
Neutral, everyday full sentence	Todavía no he comido.	Most casual conversations
Same meaning, different rhythm	No he comido todavía.	When you want a softer ending
Emphasis on “nothing”	Todavía no he comido nada.	When someone assumes you already ate
Breakfast-specific	Todavía no he desayunado.	Morning plans, coffee meetups
Lunch-specific	Todavía no he almorzado.	Midday plans, work breaks
Dinner-specific	Todavía no he cenado.	Evening plans, late meetups
Short and punchy alternative	Aún no he comido.	When you’re comfortable writing “aún”
Ultra-short alternative	Aún no.	Quick chats with clear context

Pronunciation That Keeps You From Second-Guessing

You don’t need perfect accent marks to speak well, but a few sound cues help you feel steady.

Todavía

Say it like: toh-dah-VEE-ah. The stress sits on “VEE.” If you rush it, it can come out flat. Slow it down once or twice, then speed up naturally.

He comido

He is short, like “eh.” Comido sounds like ko-MEE-doh. Put the stress on “MEE.”

Aún

When it means “yet,” it’s stressed and tends to sound like two beats: a-OON. That matches the RAE description of the pronunciation difference tied to accent use.

Small Add-Ons That Make You Sound Natural

Once you can say the main sentence, add a short follow-up that matches what you want next. These keep the conversation moving.

If you want to accept food

• Todavía no he comido. Sí, gracias.
• No he comido todavía. Me apetece.

If you want to suggest a plan

• Todavía no he comido. ¿Comemos algo?
• No he comido todavía. ¿Vamos a un sitio cerca?

If you’re not hungry, but you haven’t eaten

• Todavía no he comido, pero no tengo hambre.
• No he comido todavía, pero estoy bien.

That last set is handy when someone is worried you’re starving and you just want to keep things light.

Quick Fixes For Common Mistakes

Mixing up “aun” and “aún” in writing

If you mean “yet,” write aún (accent). If you mean “even,” write aun (no accent). If typing accents feels annoying, use todavía and you’ll still sound natural.

Using “ya” by accident

Ya he comido means “I’ve already eaten.” That’s the opposite of what you want. If you hear yourself starting with ya, stop and swap to todavía no.

Forgetting the “no”

Todavía he comido doesn’t work for “I haven’t eaten yet.” The no matters. Your safe template is:

Todavía no + he + verb (participle)

Second Table: Build Your Own Sentence In Seconds

If you want flexibility, use this pattern table to mix and match without overthinking.

Goal	Template	Ready Example
General “I haven’t eaten yet”	Todavía no he + participle	Todavía no he comido.
Meal-specific	Todavía no he + meal verb	Todavía no he cenado.
Emphasize “nothing”	(Todavía) no he + participle + nada	No he comido nada todavía.
Short reply	No, todavía no	No, todavía no.
With a plan	(Todavía) no he + participle. ¿+ verb?	No he comido todavía. ¿Comemos?
Polite add-on	+ gracias	Todavía no he comido, gracias.

A Quick Practice Drill That Sticks

Say these out loud, twice each. Keep your speed calm. You’re training your mouth, not your memory.

• Todavía no he comido.
• No he comido todavía.
• Todavía no he comido nada.
• Todavía no he almorzado.
• No, todavía no.

After that, pick one and use it the next time you’re ordering food or meeting someone. Once you’ve said it in a real moment, it starts feeling like yours.