Food vocabulary in Spanish covers a wide range of categories, including fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and common expressions for shopping and cooking. This guide will help you learn the most important words and show you how to use them in everyday conversation. Let’s get started!

Fruits

Fruits are a delicious and healthy part of any diet. Here are some common fruit names in Spanish, along with example sentences to help you see how they’re used.

Fruit Vocabulary Table

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
la manzana	las manzanas	apple	apples	Me gusta comer una manzana al día.	I like to eat an apple a day.
la naranja	las naranjas	orange	oranges	Las naranjas son muy jugosas.	Oranges are very juicy.
el plátano	los plátanos	banana	bananas	Compré plátanos en el mercado.	I bought bananas at the market.
la fresa	las fresas	strawberry	strawberries	Las fresas están en temporada.	Strawberries are in season.
la uva	las uvas	grape	grapes	Me gustan las uvas verdes.	I like green grapes.
el melón	los melones	melon	melons	El melón es dulce y refrescante.	The melon is sweet and refreshing.
la piña	las piñas	pineapple	pineapples	La piña tiene un sabor tropical.	Pineapple has a tropical flavor.
el kiwi	los kiwis	kiwi	kiwis	El kiwi es rico en vitamina C.	Kiwi is rich in vitamin C.
el mango	los mangos	mango	mangos	El mango es mi fruta favorita.	Mango is my favorite fruit.
la cereza	las cerezas	cherry	cherries	Comimos cerezas en el postre.	We ate cherries for dessert.

Vegetables

Vegetables are essential for a balanced diet. Here are some common vegetable names in Spanish, along with example sentences.

Vegetable Vocabulary Table

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
la zanahoria	las zanahorias	carrot	carrots	Corté zanahorias para la ensalada.	I cut carrots for the salad.
el tomate	los tomates	tomato	tomatoes	Los tomates están muy maduros.	The tomatoes are very ripe.
la lechuga	las lechugas	lettuce	lettuces	Compré lechuga para la cena.	I bought lettuce for dinner.
la cebolla	las cebollas	onion	onions	La cebolla hace llorar.	Onion makes you cry.
el pepino	los pepinos	cucumber	cucumbers	El pepino es fresco y crujiente.	Cucumber is fresh and crunchy.
el pimiento	los pimientos	bell pepper	bell peppers	Me gusta el pimiento rojo.	I like red bell pepper.
la papa / patata	las papas / patatas	potato	potatoes	Hice puré de papas.	I made mashed potatoes.
el ajo	—	garlic	—	Agregué ajo al sofrito.	I added garlic to the sauté.
el brócoli	—	broccoli	—	El brócoli es muy nutritivo.	Broccoli is very nutritious.
la espinaca	—	spinach	—	Cociné espinacas con ajo.	I cooked spinach with garlic.

Meats and Proteins

Proteins are important for energy and muscle repair. Here are some common meat and protein words in Spanish, along with example sentences.

Meats and Proteins Vocabulary Table

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
el pollo	—	chicken	—	Cociné pollo al horno.	I cooked roast chicken.
la carne de res	—	beef	—	Compré carne de res para la parrilla.	I bought beef for the barbecue.
el cerdo	—	pork	—	El cerdo está muy tierno.	The pork is very tender.
el pescado	—	fish	—	Comimos pescado a la plancha.	We ate grilled fish.
el huevo	los huevos	egg	eggs	Desayuné huevos revueltos.	I had scrambled eggs for breakfast.
el marisco	—	seafood	—	Probamos mariscos frescos.	We tried fresh seafood.
el jamón	—	ham	—	El jamón serrano es delicioso.	Serrano ham is delicious.
la salchicha	las salchichas	sausage	sausages	Compré salchichas para la parrilla.	I bought sausages for the grill.
el queso	los quesos	cheese	cheeses	Me gusta el queso manchego.	I like manchego cheese.
el tofu	—	tofu	—	Cociné tofu con verduras.	I cooked tofu with vegetables.

Common Food-Related Expressions

Learning common expressions will help you talk about food more naturally in Spanish. Here are some useful phrases.

Expressions Vocabulary Table

Spanish Singular	Spanish Plural	English Singular	English Plural	Spanish Example	English Example
¿Qué quieres comer?	—	What do you want to eat?	—	¿Qué quieres comer hoy?	What do you want to eat today?
Tengo hambre.	—	I’m hungry.	—	Tengo hambre, vamos a cocinar.	I’m hungry, let’s cook.
Tengo sed.	—	I’m thirsty.	—	Tengo sed, ¿me das agua?	I’m thirsty, can you give me water?
Está delicioso.	—	It’s delicious.	—	Este pastel está delicioso.	This cake is delicious.
¿Quieres más?	—	Do you want more?	—	¿Quieres más arroz?	Do you want more rice?
Buen provecho.	—	Enjoy your meal.	—	Bon appétit. — ¡Buen provecho!	Bon appétit. — Enjoy your meal!
¿Cuánto cuesta?	—	How much does it cost?	—	¿Cuánto cuesta la fruta?	How much does the fruit cost?
Estoy lleno/a.	—	I’m full.	—	Ya comí mucho, estoy lleno.	I ate a lot, I’m full.
¿Me pasas la sal?	—	Can you pass me the salt?	—	¿Me pasas la sal, por favor?	Can you pass me the salt, please?
A la carta	—	À la carte.	—	Pedimos a la carta en el restaurante.	We ordered à la carte at the restaurant.

Conclusion

You now have a solid foundation of food vocabulary in Spanish, organized by category and illustrated with example sentences. As you practice, try to use these words in your own sentences, and listen for them when you’re reading or speaking. ¡Buen provecho!

Flashcards (1 of 40)

English Singular: apple
English Plural: apples
English Example: I like to eat an apple a day.

Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

Spanish

Food Words