Spanish · Beginning Spanish

Spanish Food Vocabulary Study Guide

Spanish food words come with a built-in clue: each noun is masculine (el) or feminine (la), and learning the word together with its article is the fastest way to remember its gender. This guide covers common foods and drinks, the articles that go with them, and how to ask for what you want at a table. Most vocabulary quizzes ask you to match a Spanish word to its English meaning and to use the right article.

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Key terms

La manzana: The apple. A feminine noun, so it takes la.
El pan: The bread. A masculine noun. The plural is los panes.
El queso: The cheese. A masculine noun, so it takes el.
La leche: The milk. A feminine noun, so it takes la.
El arroz: The rice. A masculine noun. The plural is los arroces.
La fresa: The strawberry. A feminine noun. In some countries the word is la frutilla.
El agua: The water. A feminine noun that takes el because it begins with a stressed a. You still say el agua fría.
El pollo: The chicken. A masculine noun, so it takes el.
El huevo: The egg. A masculine noun, so it takes el.
El pescado: The fish, as food. Masculine. A live fish is el pez.
La naranja: The orange. A feminine noun, so it takes la.
La sopa: The soup. A feminine noun, so it takes la.
La ensalada: The salad. A feminine noun, so it takes la.
El jugo: The juice. Masculine. In Spain the common word is el zumo.

Gender and articles

Every Spanish noun is masculine or feminine. The article for masculine nouns is el (plural los) and for feminine nouns la (plural las). Nouns ending in -o are usually masculine and nouns ending in -a are usually feminine, but there are many exceptions, so learn each word with its article.

Write la manzana, not just manzana, on every flash card.

Phrases for the table

•Quiero una ensalada, por favor. (I want a salad, please.)
•Me gusta el queso. (I like cheese.)
•No me gusta el pescado. (I do not like fish.)
•Tengo hambre. / Tengo sed. (I am hungry. / I am thirsty.)
•La cuenta, por favor. (The check, please.)

Regional differences

Food vocabulary changes from country to country. Juice is el jugo in much of Latin America and el zumo in Spain, and a strawberry can be la fresa or la frutilla. Use the words your teacher and your textbook use.

How to study the list

Cover the Spanish and say it from the English, then cover the English and say it from the Spanish, always with the article. Mix the cards instead of going in order, and come back to the ones you miss.

Common mistakes

Mistake: Memorizing the word without its article.
Learn the pair as one unit, la manzana, so the gender comes with the word.
Mistake: El agua is masculine.
Agua is feminine. It takes el only because of the stressed a sound, and adjectives stay feminine, as in el agua fría.
Mistake: The plural just adds -s to every word.
Words ending in a consonant add -es (el pan, los panes), and a final z becomes c (el arroz, los arroces).
Mistake: Food words are the same in every Spanish-speaking country.
Many differ by region, such as jugo and zumo for juice. Use your class’s words.

Common questions

How do I say common foods in Spanish?↓

Learn them with their articles: la manzana (apple), el pan (bread), el queso (cheese), la leche (milk), el arroz (rice), el pollo (chicken), el huevo (egg), la naranja (orange). The key terms list above has more.

How do I know if a Spanish word is el or la?↓

Many nouns ending in -o are masculine (el queso) and many ending in -a are feminine (la manzana), but there are exceptions, so learn the article with every new word.

How do I say I like something in Spanish?↓

Use me gusta before a singular thing, as in me gusta el queso, and me gustan before plural things, as in me gustan las fresas. To say you do not like it, add no: no me gusta el pescado.

What is the fastest way to learn Spanish vocabulary?↓

Practice retrieving the word from memory instead of rereading the list. Flash cards, matching and quizzes made from your list work well, especially when you return to the missed words over several days.

Is it jugo or zumo?↓

Both mean juice. Jugo is common in Latin America and zumo is common in Spain. Either is understood, but use the one your class teaches.