"What eats ants?"

Question

I'm trying to translate the sentence "What eats ants?" The translator gives "Qué comen las hormigas," which sounds to me like, "What do ants eat?" which is pretty much the question backwards. Any help is appreciated.

Answer 1

I think Bosque has done an admirable job.

After some thinking I offer up 'comerse' , supported by the video of ants gobbling up the lizard.

¿Que se comen las hormigas? Pero las hormigas que se come son otra cosa, una comida para tí. ( The edible ants are something different, they are a meal for yourself, to complicate things even more).

las hormigas se comen una lagartija

Wow, that's quite a video:) - dennywells, Apr 14, 2014

Yes, I had to put the link, I was amazed. - annierats, Apr 15, 2014

Answer 2

In my opinion (as an intermediate level learner):

Well if what you want is be absolutely clear:

¿Qué animales comen hormigas?

But if you want something more literal:

¿Qué come hormigas?

I agree entirely that:

¿Qué comen las hormigas?

sounds like: "What do ants eat?"

So if ¿Qué comen las hormigas? means "What do ants eat?" why doesn't ¿Qué animales comen hormigas? mean "what animals do ants eat?" Why is it the other way around? - EbinMemer, Apr 14, 2014

Because if it were the subject, I would have used the article: ¿Qué animales comen las hormigas? keep in mind I could be wrong and wait for a native or advanced learner to confirm. - bosquederoble, Apr 14, 2014

If you are talking about a general noun in spanish- ants in general- and it is the subject of the sentence, it has to have the article. - bosquederoble, Apr 14, 2014

So if you were being specific about the ant how would it change? For example if I said ¿Qué come esa hormiga? for "what does that ant eat" how would I say "what eats that ant?" - EbinMemer, Apr 14, 2014

"So the first is probably no more clear- actually ones written with "come" rather than "comen" would give less confusion, as it is be clear that it is not conjugated to a plural noun. But either way- the distinction I see is "hormigas" vs. "las hormigas. - bosquederoble, Apr 14, 2014

Ok, thanks for the help. - EbinMemer, Apr 14, 2014

I have come up with something more clear: ¿Qué animales se alimentan de hormigas? - bosquederoble, Apr 14, 2014

Excellent, Bosque! - annierats, Apr 14, 2014

Double vote for alimentarse, actually, solves the problem in one fell stroke. - annierats, Apr 14, 2014

Answer 3

If I enter "What eats ants?" into the SD translator, it returns these three results:

1. ¿Lo que comen las hormigas? The things that (they eat) ants?

Lo que can be translated several different ways, including 'the thing that' or 'that which'

1. Lo que come hormigas? The thing that eats ants?

2. ¿Qué come hormigas? What (it eats) singular ants? plural.

If I enter "What do ants eat?" into the SD translator, it returns the same three results:

1. ¿Qué comen las hormigas? What (do) (they eat) plural ants? plural

Looks OK to me...

Yes.. I think we might go with Bosques alimentar, for simplicity. Alrhough context ought to make it pretty obvious, really. Either you eat ants or are eaten by ants. - annierats, Apr 14, 2014

I argee Annie. I was trying to figure out if the translator was getting it wrong. There are better ways say it as you pointed out:) - dennywells, Apr 14, 2014

Yes, but I like your answer, it is also right, only in real life I would avoid this confusion.. - annierats, Apr 15, 2014

Answer 4

What eats ants: Lo que se come a las hormigas.

Answer 5

If I have understood your question, ExplosiveTaco, you want to know how to say "what is it that eats ants for the food value that the ant provides to the eater" or, as you have said it, "What eats ants".

I suggest "Qué se alimentan de hormigas" as "What eats ants". This is a phrase which I essenntially lifted out of the Wilipedia Spanish language description of anteaters. In the phrase, the pronominal (reflexive) verb "alimentarse", meaning "to feed oneself", forms the basis for the phrase.

Saludos/Regards,
Moe ,

And as I continue to think about it I suppose you could also say "Qué se coman de hormigas" using the reflexive "comerse". - Moe, Apr 14, 2014

Answer 6

Well, if you say " What eats ants ", someone might think that you're referring to an ant-bear or something, which is pretty different to what do ants eat.

That's my point. Both questions "what eats ants?" and "what do ants eat" get the translation "que comen las hormigas" even though they're completely different - EbinMemer, Apr 14, 2014