Spanish Lesson – Food
Spanish Lesson – Food
See also Spanish Words & Phrases
This Spanish lesson is all about food la comida. Words and phrases about food tend to vary from region to region and country to country. For example, in Mexico you can go to the grocery store and buy an aguacate (avocado). However, if you ask for un aguacate in Argentina, they won’t understand you. They call avocado palta.
The three meals that equate to breakfast, lunch and dinner are el desayuno, el almuerzo and la cena.
In the restaurant
restaurant – el restaurante
waiter/waitress – mesero/mesera
menu – la carta/el menu
the check – la cuenta
Generally in Spanish restaurants, the waiter (el mesero) will not bring you the check unless you ask for it. The easiest way to ask for the check is to get the waiter’s attention and make a motion with your hand as if you are scribbling a note on an imaginary piece of paper. You don’t need to say a word. Alternatively, a common way to ask for the check verbally is to say “la cuenta, por favor”.
Something to drink?
Algo para tomar? If you’re going to be spending time in Latin America you will hear this phrase often when you go to a restaurant, bar or someone’s house. It means “something to drink?”
a glass of water – un vaso de agua
a bottle of water – una botella de agua
mineral water – agua con gas
juice – jugo
coffee – café
tea – té
soda – gaseosa
milk – leche
hot chocolate – chocolate
beer – cerveza
a glass of wine – una copa de vino
champagne – champán
cocktail – coctel
By the way, hot chocolate was invented in Mexico. If you’re in Mexico, give it a try. It’s delicious (muy rico!).
Popular toasts
The most common toast you are likely to hear before people drink is “salud” which means health. Another popular toast is “salud, dinero y amor” (health, money and love). A toast is called un brindis.
The dinner table
table – la mesa
chair – la silla
cutlery – los cubiertos
knife – el cuchillo
fork – el tenedor
spoon – la cuchara
teaspoon – la cucharita
napkin – la servietta
plate – el plato
side plate – el platillo
soup dish – el sopero
bowl – el tazon
glass – el vaso
wine glass – la copa
cup – la taza
Fruits and vegetables
fruit – la fruta
orange – una naranja
apple – la manzana
banana – la banana
tomato – el tomate
grapes – las uvas
pinapple – la piña
vegetables – los vegetales
carrot – la zanahoria
potato – las papas
lettuce – la lechuga
onion – la cebolla
garlic – el ajo
peas – los guisantes
cucumber – el pepino
Meat, poultry and fish
meat – carne
beef – carne de vaca
pork – carne de cerdo
hamburger – hamburguesa
ham – jamón
sausage – salchicha
chicken – pollo
turkey – el pollo
fish – pescado
tuna – atún
salmon – salmón
lobster – langosta
crab – cangrejo
shrimp – camarones
clam – almeja
oyster – ostra
