Я ем всё, только не мясо.

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Breakdown of Я ем всё, только не мясо.

• есть: to eat
• всё: everything
• мясо: the meat

Questions & Answers about Я ем всё, только не мясо.

Why is the verb ем and not есть?

Ем is the 1st person singular form of the verb есть meaning to eat.

So:

• есть = to eat
• я ем = I eat
• ты ешь = you eat
• он/она ест = he/she eats

Russian verbs change form depending on the subject, so you usually do not use the infinitive the way English sometimes does in dictionary-style examples.

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Is this the same есть that means to be / there is?

No. Russian has two different words that look the same in the dictionary:

• есть = to eat
• есть = there is / there are / is

In this sentence, ем clearly comes from есть = to eat.

That is a very common point of confusion for learners.

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What does всё mean here?