¿Para comer? - Why do you use "para" here? What does "para" mean in this phrase?

Question

¿Para comer? - Why do you use "para" here? What does "para" mean in this phrase?

Answer 1

Literally it means "for to eat," and, believe it or not, English used to actually have that construction, but it is now antiquated (no longer used).

Maybe that's what we see in the old song, "Polly Wolly Doodle"

• Oh, I went down south for to see my Sal
• Singing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day
• Oh my Sal she am a spunky gal
• Singing Polly Wolly Doodle all the day.

Hehe, that's it! - webdunce, FEB 8, 2010

How funny is that?! What a perfect example! I will share this with my students! - thaibean06, FEB 8, 2010

Answer 2

Para comer = in order to eat / to eat.

Literally it means "for to eat," and, believe it or not, English used to actually have that construction, but it is now antiquated (no longer used).

Cociné la comida para comerla.

I cooked my food for to eat it. (literal translation, antiquated English)

I cooked my food in order to eat it. (good, but wordy)

I cooked my food to eat it. (preferred)

Great explaination! Another way that might help to understand this type of construction is to consider "Comer" a gerund rather than as a verb. "What do you want for eating?" - 005faa61, FEB 8, 2010

Hey, that might even be a better to look at it Julian, thanks for the input. - webdunce, FEB 8, 2010

...better W A Y to look... - webdunce, FEB 8, 2010

You explained that very well, thank you! - thaibean06, FEB 8, 2010

Answer 3

¿Que quieres para comer? o ¿Qué quieres de comer? What do you want to eat?... Both sentences are correct and mean exactly the same

I was not aware of the querer + de + infinitive construction. Thanks. - webdunce, FEB 8, 2010

It might be grammatically incorrect. The fact is that we use it as often as "para comer". We also say "¿Qué querés comer hoy?" The three examples sound perfectly normal to me :) - Benz, FEB 8, 2010

Thank you! You guys are so smart! - thaibean06, FEB 8, 2010