Introduction
Knowing food vocabulary is one of the most immediately useful skills in Spanish. Whether you're ordering at a restaurant, shopping at a market, or cooking with a recipe, these words come up every day.
Fruits (Las Frutas)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la manzana | apple |
| la naranja | orange |
| el plátano | banana |
| la fresa | strawberry |
| la uva | grape |
| el limón | lemon / lime |
| la piña | pineapple |
| la sandía | watermelon |
Vegetables (Las Verduras)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| la zanahoria | carrot |
| la cebolla | onion |
| el tomate | tomato |
| la lechuga | lettuce |
| el ajo | garlic |
| la papa / la patata | potato |
| el pimiento | pepper (bell) |
| el maíz | corn |
Regional note: Papa is used in Latin America; patata is used in Spain.
Proteins (Las Proteínas)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el pollo | chicken |
| la carne | meat (beef) |
| el cerdo | pork |
| el pescado | fish (for eating) |
| el huevo | egg |
| el queso | cheese |
| el arroz | rice |
| los frijoles | beans |
Drinks (Las Bebidas)
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el agua | water |
| el café | coffee |
| el té | tea |
| el jugo / el zumo | juice |
| la leche | milk |
| la cerveza | beer |
| el vino | wine |
| el refresco | soda / soft drink |
Note: El agua is feminine (agua fría) but uses el because it starts with a stressed "a" sound.
Useful Phrases for Ordering
- Quisiera… — I would like…
- ¿Qué me recomienda? — What do you recommend?
- La cuenta, por favor. — The check, please.
- ¿Tiene algo sin carne? — Do you have something without meat?
- Estoy lleno/llena. — I'm full.
Practice
How do you say 'chicken' in Spanish?
'Quisiera un jugo de naranja' means…
Why do we say 'EL agua' even though 'agua' is feminine?
How would you ask for the check at a restaurant?