Why is que in the following statement.

Question

Why is que wrritten in the following sentence.

No tengo nada que comer?

Answer 1

Not really the construction can occur with many verbs

I didn't mean to say this is the only combination in which "que" or even "comer" is used, I just wanted to point out that this is one of the (many) combinations that might feel funny to spanish learners in the sense that we usually translate every word because we think it needs to be translated. Which isn't necessarily the case because some combinations are just a typically Spanish way to say something. Thus, we Spanish learners will have to learn to recognise those combinations and learn them by heart

Answer 2

the combination "nada que comer" is a set combination, an idiom

Not really the construction can occur with many verbs e.g. "nada que llevar", "nada que leer", etc. Nor is the word "nada" a necessary ingredient. "algo que + infinitive is also fairly common.

Answer 3

In English, the "que" is not translated so the sentence reads: I have nothing to eat. I think that's because the combination "nada que comer" is a set combination, an idiom.

Answer 4

No tengo nada que comer? I have nothing which to eat.

I think que is translated to which in this sentence