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Spanish Phrase

¿Cuánto va a tardar nuestra comida?

/ˈkwan.to βa a taɾˈðaɾ ˈnwe.stɾa koˈmi.ða/
Meaning"How long will our food take?"
💡

Meaning

A polite way to ask how long the meal will take to be ready. It can refer to a dish being cooked in a restaurant, a home-cooked meal, or any food that is currently being prepared.

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When to use

Use this question while waiting for your order at a restaurant, when a friend is cooking for you, or in any situation where you need to know the expected waiting time for a meal.

✦Grammar Breakdown

¿Cuántovaatardarnuestracomida?

1

¿Cuánto?

Interrogative adverb meaning 'how much' or 'how long' when followed by a verb of duration.

2

va a + infinitive

Periphrastic future construction; 'va a tardar' = 'will take'.

3

tardar

Verb meaning 'to take (time)'; used with a time expression or as a general question about duration.

4

nuestra

Possessive adjective agreeing in gender and number with the noun it modifies.

5

comida

Noun meaning 'food' or 'meal'; here it refers to the dish being prepared.

🗨In Conversation

A

¿Cuánto va a tardar nuestra comida?

How long will our food take?

En unos veinte minutos, ya casi está lista.

In about twenty minutes, it's almost ready.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • ¿Cuánto va tardar nuestra comida?

    The periphrastic future requires the preposition ‘a’ after ‘va’. Correct form is ‘va a tardar’.

  • ¿Cuanto va a tardar nuestra comida?

    When asking about duration you need the accent: ‘¿Cuánto…?’ without it changes the meaning.

  • ¿Cuánto va a tardar la comida?

    If you’re referring to a specific dish, you can replace ‘nuestra comida’ with the dish name, but keep the possessive if you mean ‘our meal’.

↔Alternatives

  • ¿Cuánto tiempo tardará nuestra comida?

    How long will our meal take?

  • ¿En cuánto tiempo estará lista nuestra comida?

    In how much time will our food be ready?

  • ¿Cuándo estará lista la comida?

    When will the food be ready?

es

Cultural Tip

In many Spanish‑speaking countries it’s considered courteous to add a ‘por favor’ before or after the question, especially in a restaurant setting. Also, note that in some regions people may use ‘¿Cuánto tardamos?’ when speaking informally with friends, but the possessive ‘nuestra’ makes the request clearer and more polite in formal contexts.