A comprehensive guide to Spanish taste vocabulary, covering how to describe flavors, express preferences, and use common taste-related words and phrases.
Understanding how to talk about taste in Spanish is essential for describing food, sharing preferences, and enjoying conversations about dining. This guide covers key vocabulary and example sentences to help you express all kinds of flavors naturally.
Basic Taste Words
Start with the simple building blocks for describing the five basic tastes in Spanish. These words will help you identify and talk about sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and more.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| dulce | dulces | sweet | sweets | El postre es muy dulce. | The dessert is very sweet. |
| ácido | ácidos | sour | sours | El jugo está ácido. | The juice is sour. |
| salado | salados | salty | salties | Las papas están saladas. | The chips are salty. |
| amargo | amargos | bitter | bitters | El café está amargo. | The coffee is bitter. |
| umami | (singular only) | umami | (singular only) | Este caldo tiene umami. | This broth has umami. |
Las papas están ___.
Which Spanish word means 'salty'?
saladas
'Saladas' is the feminine plural form of 'salado,' meaning 'salty.' The other options mean 'sweet,' 'sour,' and 'bitter.'
Flavor Adjectives
These adjectives help you describe more specific flavors and sensations. Use them to add detail and personality to your descriptions.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| picante | picantes | spicy | spicies | La salsa está picante. | The sauce is spicy. |
| suave | suaves | mild | milds | El queso es suave. | The cheese is mild. |
| fuerte | fuertes | strong | strongs | Tiene un sabor fuerte. | It has a strong flavor. |
| delicioso | deliciosos | delicious | delicious | La sopa está deliciosa. | The soup is delicious. |
| insípido | insípidos | bland | blands | El arroz está insípido. | The rice is bland. |
Expressing Preferences
These phrases help you say what you like or don’t like, which is key for ordering food and talking about your taste.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Me gusta | Me gustan | I like | I like (plural) | Me gustan las frutas. | I like fruits. |
| No me gusta | No me gustan | I don’t like | I don’t like (plural) | No me gusta el brócoli. | I don’t like broccoli. |
| Prefiero | — | I prefer | — | Prefiero el té verde. | I prefer green tea. |
| Quiero probar | — | I want to try | — | Quiero probar el postre. | I want to try the dessert. |
| Estoy acostumbrado a | — | I’m used to | — | Estoy acostumbrado al café fuerte. | I’m used to strong coffee. |
Describing Texture
Taste is often linked to texture. These words help you describe how food feels in your mouth, which is important for a full flavor description.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cremoso | cremosos | creamy | creamies | El postre es cremoso. | The dessert is creamy. |
| crujiente | crujientes | crunchy | crunchies | Las galletas son crujientes. | The cookies are crunchy. |
| suave | suaves | smooth | smooths | La salsa es suave. | The sauce is smooth. |
| seco | secos | dry | dries | El pan está seco. | The bread is dry. |
| pegajoso | pegajosos | sticky | stickies | El caramelo está pegajoso. | The caramel is sticky. |
Talking About Temperature
Temperature affects taste, so these words help you describe whether food is hot, cold, or just right.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| caliente | calientes | hot | hots | El café está caliente. | The coffee is hot. |
| frío | fríos | cold | colds | Prefiero el jugo frío. | I prefer cold juice. |
| tibio | tibios | warm | warms | El té está tibio. | The tea is warm. |
| helado | helados | iced / frozen | ices / frozens | El postre está helado. | The dessert is frozen. |
| recién hecho | — | freshly made | — | El pan está recién hecho. | The bread is freshly made. |
Expressing Intensity
These words help you describe how strong or subtle a flavor is, which is great for more precise descriptions.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| muy | — | very | — | La sopa está muy salada. | The soup is very salty. |
| un poco | — | a little | — | El jugo está un poco ácido. | The juice is a little sour. |
| demasiado | — | too much | — | La comida está demasiado picante. | The food is too spicy. |
| suficiente | — | enough | — | Hay suficiente azúcar. | There is enough sugar. |
| intenso | intensos | intense | intensities | El sabor es intenso. | The flavor is intense. |
Special Taste Vocabulary
Here are some more unique and useful words related to taste that don’t fit neatly into the basic categories.
| Spanish Singular | Spanish Plural | English Singular | English Plural | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| astringente | — | astringent | — | El té es astringente. | The tea is astringent. |
| fermentado | fermentados | fermented | fermenteds | El yogur está fermentado. | The yogurt is fermented. |
| dulcecito | — | slightly sweet | — | El postre es dulcecito. | The dessert is slightly sweet. |
| refrescante | refrescantes | refreshing | refreshings | La limonada es refrescante. | The lemonade is refreshing. |
| sabroso | sabrosos | tasty | tasties | El guiso está sabroso. | The stew is tasty. |
Common Phrases with Gustar
The verb gustar is essential for talking about likes and dislikes in Spanish food conversations. Here are common phrases you’ll see.
| Spanish Phrase | English Translation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Me gusta + noun | I like + noun | Me gusta el chocolate. | I like chocolate. |
| No me gusta + noun | I don’t like + noun | No me gusta el ajo. | I don’t like garlic. |
| Me gusta + infinitive | I like to + verb | Me gusta cocinar. | I like to cook. |
| No me gusta + infinitive | I don’t like to + verb | No me gusta comer temprano. | I don’t like to eat early. |
| ¿Te gusta …? | Do you like …? | ¿Te gusta el sushi? | Do you like sushi? |
How do you say 'I don’t like garlic' in Spanish?
No me gusta el ajo.
'El ajo' is singular and requires the article 'el.' 'Gusta' agrees with a singular noun.
How do you say 'I like chocolate' in Spanish?
Me gusta el chocolate.
The correct phrase is 'Me gusta el chocolate.' 'Chocolate' is singular and masculine, so 'gusta' is used with the definite article 'el.'
How do you say 'I like to cook' in Spanish?
Me gusta cocinar.
'Me gusta cocinar' uses the infinitive 'cocinar' after 'gustar' to say 'I like to cook.'
Now you have a full set of Spanish vocabulary to describe tastes, textures, and food preferences. Practice using these words and phrases to make your food conversations more natural and flavorful—¡buen provecho!
Flashcards (1 of 40)
- English Singular: sweet
- English Plural: sweets
- English Example: The dessert is very sweet.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
