Food in Spanish: Vocabulary, Articles & Examples

Learn the most useful food words in Spanish by group. You will be able to read a simple menu, shop for basic ingredients, and talk about what you eat.

Spanish food nouns usually use el or la. Learn the article together with the word: el pan, la leche, la sopa. For simple sentences, use quiero... for I want, quisiera... for I would like, como... for I eat, and me gusta... for I like.

Everyday basics

These words appear in breakfasts, quick shopping lists, and simple meals at home.

• El pan – Bread
• El arroz – Rice
• El huevo – Egg
• La leche – Milk
• La mantequilla – Butter
• La pasta – Pasta
• El aceite – Oil
• La harina – Flour
• El azúcar – Sugar
• La sal – Salt

Examples:

• Como pan con mantequilla. (I eat bread with butter.)
• Compro leche, huevos y harina. (I buy milk, eggs, and flour.)
• Quiero pasta con aceite. (I want pasta with oil.)

Fruits

Use these words for breakfast, snacks, desserts, and market shopping.

• La manzana – Apple
• El banano – Banana
• La naranja – Orange
• La pera – Pear
• La uva – Grape
• La fresa – Strawberry
• El limón – Lemon
• La piña – Pineapple
• El durazno – Peach
• El aguacate – Avocado

Examples:

• Quisiera una manzana y un banano. (I would like an apple and a banana.)
• La naranja está dulce. (The orange is sweet.)
• Pongo limón en el agua. (I put lemon in the water.)

Note: In many countries, people say plátano instead of banano. Both are useful, but the common choice depends on the country.

Vegetables

These words help with salads, soups, and simple recipes.

• La papa – Potato
• El tomate – Tomato
• La zanahoria – Carrot
• La cebolla – Onion
• El ajo – Garlic
• La lechuga – Lettuce
• El maíz – Corn
• El pepino – Cucumber
• El pimiento – Bell pepper
• El champiñón – Mushroom

Examples:

• Hago una ensalada con tomate y lechuga. (I make a salad with tomato and lettuce.)
• Cocino papas con cebolla. (I cook potatoes with onion.)
• La sopa tiene zanahorias, maíz y champiñones. (The soup has carrots, corn, and mushrooms.)

Note: Papa is common in Latin America. In Spain, patata is very common for potato.

Proteins

These words help you read menus and explain what you eat.

• El pollo – Chicken
• El pescado – Fish as food
• El pez – Fish as an animal
• La carne – Meat
• La carne de res – Beef
• El cerdo – Pork
• El atún – Tuna
• Los frijoles – Beans

Examples:

• Como pollo con arroz. (I eat chicken with rice.)
• No como carne, pero como pescado. (I do not eat meat, but I eat fish.)
• La pasta tiene frijoles y tomate. (The pasta has beans and tomato.)

Dairy and prepared foods

These are useful when you order food or combine quick meals.

• El queso – Cheese
• La sopa – Soup
• La ensalada – Salad
• La pizza – Pizza
• El sándwich – Sandwich
• El pastel – Cake
• La galleta – Cookie

Examples:

• Quisiera un sándwich y una sopa. (I would like a sandwich and a soup.)
• Pido una pizza con ensalada. (I order a pizza with salad.)
• Como un pastel y una galleta. (I eat a cake and a cookie.)

Meals and useful phrases

Use these words and phrases when you say when you eat or order something.

• El desayuno – Breakfast
• El almuerzo – Lunch
• La cena – Dinner
• La merienda – Snack
• Quiero... – I want...
• Quisiera... – I would like...
• Tengo hambre – I am hungry
• Tengo sed – I am thirsty

Examples:

• En el desayuno, tomo leche. (At breakfast, I drink milk.)
• En el almuerzo, como arroz con pollo. (At lunch, I eat rice with chicken.)
• Para la cena, quiero pescado y ensalada. (For dinner, I want fish and salad.)

Articles, plurals, and small patterns

Spanish articles help you remember gender. Many food words use el: el pan, el arroz, el huevo, el queso. Many others use la: la leche, la manzana, la sopa, la ensalada.

Some plurals are simple: add -s after a vowel and -es after many consonants.

• La manzana → Las manzanas – The apple → The apples
• El huevo → Los huevos – The egg → The eggs
• El pan → Los panes – The bread roll or loaf → The breads
• La galleta → Las galletas – The cookie → The cookies

When you order one item, use un or una: un sándwich, una sopa, una pizza, un pastel.

Common mistakes

Using pez for food

Use pez for the animal in the water. Use pescado when you mean fish as food.

• Veo un pez – I see a fish
• Como pescado – I eat fish

Forgetting the article

Do not learn only leche or arroz. Learn la leche and el arroz so you remember the gender more easily.

Translating I am hungry word by word

Spanish uses tener for hunger and thirst.

• Tengo hambre – I am hungry
• Tengo sed – I am thirsty

Start with short sentences: quiero una pizza, como arroz, me gusta la sopa. Then change one word at a time: quiero una ensalada, quiero un sándwich, quiero pescado.