Muy delicioso

May 6, 2008 8:53 AM

SpanishFilter: How can I politely say "I've had enough" or "I'm full" in Spanish?

As mentioned in a previous AskMe I am headed to Guatemala next week and I don't speak Spanish beyond the basic tourist phrases. Due to a medical issue I can't eat very much at one time. In many restaurants the server will ask me if the food was okay since it looks like I didn't eat anything. I usually reassure them that it was delicious but I'm already full, or I wasn't very hungry, or something like that.

What would be the best way to express that in Spanish? Who knows if I'll even need it, but I've had this experience in both the US and Europe and I certainly wouldn't want to insult anyone.

posted by cabingirl to writing & language (14 comments total)

Estaba riquisimo! (estaba rikIsimo) - It was delicious!
Estoy llena (estoi yeina) - I'm full.
Ya comí antes (same pronunciation) - I already ate.
Ya he comido mucho! (ya A comeedo mucho) - I´ve already eaten tons.

Suerte! (Good luck!)
posted by cachondeo45 at 9:02 AM on May 6

Estoy satisfecha. (At least that's what I was told by someone of Nicaraguan origin.)
posted by MasonDixon at 9:07 AM on May 6

Estoy satisfecha (more or less, I'm satisfied)
posted by waylaid at 9:08 AM on May 6

These examples badly mutilate the Spanish language, but:

"Tengo una enfermedad y por eso no puedo comer mucho." (I have an illness so I can't eat very much)

"Mi medico me dijo que no debe comer mucho" (My doctor told me not to eat very much)
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:50 AM on May 6

Nah, those others are too easy to forget. Here's a one-worder: Basta, prounounced like 'pasta' except with a 'b'. It means 'enough.'

I recommend this word because you can use it for lots of other things. If you want it to sound mean, shout it while menacingly drawing your finger across your throat. If you want it to sound nice, smile and say 'gracias' afterward.

Too easy.
posted by resurrexit at 10:06 AM on May 6 [1 favorite]

As pointed out above, "basta ya" meaning 'already enough' or "estoy llena" (llena pronounced yena) are short and easy to remember. Basta ya might sound a bit impolite though, I'm not very sure. It probably depends on the tone, and you can say thanks afterwards, as resurrexit has mentioned.
posted by monocot at 10:13 AM on May 6

I've always heard that, at least in some parts of Latin America, people don't say "Estoy llena." I think "Estoy satisfecha" is a better bet.
posted by umbú at 10:21 AM on May 6

Nthing 'Estoy satisfecha'. 'Basta' and 'llega' are two other great words to mean 'enough, already!', which will get you through oodles of situations.
posted by msali at 10:51 AM on May 6

Basta ya! Soy lleno... no quiero ser gordo como lo ademas en mi pais!
posted by damiano99 at 11:08 AM on May 6

No Mas!
posted by neilkod at 11:09 AM on May 6

When I was in Argentina, we always said "hay basta" ("that/there is enough") and it seemed to go over pretty well. We were hanging with Argentineans the whole time, and my sister is a fluent Spanish ("Castellano") speaker, so I know that that's good for that country, at least. But, knowing that the Spanish in, say, the Dominican Republic is pretty different, that may or may not be the same.
posted by dubitable at 11:16 AM on May 6

It's Guatemala, you can drop the estoy. It's just "satisfecha."
posted by Pollomacho at 12:04 PM on May 6

Being Argentinean I can say that at least here "Basta" followed by "Gracias" would be ok and expected from a non spanish speaker. Going into "I have a disease that doesn't allow me to eat too much" will lead to a number of questions in spanish you may not understand.

If you want to insure to avoid insulting them say "muy rico, gracias!".

If you want to stress the "I can't" part say "No debo comer mucho".

Trust me, this will get you across and should be understood even through a heavy accent.

Good luck on your trip!
posted by Manouk at 12:10 PM on May 6

Wow, thanks everyone! It looks like Basta, gracias or (Estoy) satisfecha will work.
posted by cabingirl at 2:29 PM on May 6