Spanish

Meat and Fish – Spanish Words and Phrases You Must Know

meat-fish

As you may well know, Latin America and Spain are famous for their cuisine, especially delicious meat and fish preparations. If you are a carnivore, make sure to try Spanish cured ham, Argentinean steak, Peruvian ajΓ­ de gallina, Chilean fish, and seafood. The abundance and relatively low prices will sweep you off your feet.

Are you just starting to learn Spanish? First of all – congrats! You have chosen one of the best languages to study

Now, to help you in the meat and fish department, I have prepared a list of the most common vocabulary you’ll need to learn if you want to have a conversation in Spanish on this topic. 

15 Essential Spanish Terms for Meat and Fish 

  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ carne – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ meat
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ pescado – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ fish
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ vacuno / res – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ beef
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ cerdo / chancho – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ pork
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ cordero – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ lamb
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ ave – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ poultry
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ pollo – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ chicken
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ pavo – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ turkey
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ pato – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ duck
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ carnicerΓ­a – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ butcherΒ΄s / meat counter
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ congrio – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ sea bass
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ salmΓ³n – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ salmon
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ bacalao – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ cod
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ trucha – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ trout
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ mariscos – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ seafood

Once you learn these simple Meat and Fish Words in Spanish, you will be able to start forming real-life sentences like the ones below: 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ No como carne.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ I don’t eat meat. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ ΒΏPrefieres carne o pescado?
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Do you prefer meat or fish?

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ El pollo frito es mi plato favorito.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Fried chicken is my favorite dish.

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ En mi paΓ­s se come mucho cerdo. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ We eat a lot of pork in my country.

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ Soy alΓ©rgico a mariscos.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ I’m allergic to seafood. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ Un kilo de salmΓ³n fileteado, por favor. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ A kilogram of filleted salmon. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ ΒΏCuΓ‘nto cuesta una pechuga de pollo entera? 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ How much is a whole chicken breast? 

See? Shopping in Spanish is not as difficult as it might seem.

Most Common Spanish Verbs related to Meat and Fish

Let’s move on to Spanish verbs related to this topic, shall we? There are plenty of things you can do with meat and fish:

  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ cortar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to cut
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ trozar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to slice
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ moler – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to grind
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ cortar en cubitos – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to dice
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ porcionar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to portion
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ desengrasar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to degrease
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ cocinar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to cook
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ freΓ­r – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to fry
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ asar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to roast / to grill 
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ guisar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to stew
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ aliΓ±ar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to season
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ congelar – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ to freeze

Wanna see some examples of how to use them? Here you go:

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ ΒΏMe puede cortar unos 3 trozos grandes de vacuno? 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Can you cut three big slices of beef for me?

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ He comprado carne para la cena pero hay que desengrasarla primero. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ I’ve bought meat for dinner, but it needs degreasing first. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ El salmΓ³n estaba en oferta, asΓ­ que comprΓ© 3 kilos. Lo voy a congelar.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Salmon was on sale, so I bought three kilograms. I’m going to freeze it. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ ΒΏPrefieres asar o freir esta carne?
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Do you prefer to fry or roast this meat?

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ La receta dice que hay que cortar el pollo en cubitos. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ The recipe says you have to chop the chicken. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ AliΓ±a el pescado a tu gusto.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Season the fish to your taste. 

Let’s play some more with those verbs. You can transform many of them into other parts of speech (nouns or adjectives). Take a look:

  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ un buen corte de carne – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ a good meat cut
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ un trozo de vacuno – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ a slice of beef 
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ carne molida – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ ground meat
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ congrio frito – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ a fried sea bass
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ pollo asado  – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ roast chicken
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ un guiso de carne – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ a meat stew
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ un asado – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ a barbeque

Describing Meat and Fish in Spanish

Imagine that someone asks you: β€œHow do you like your meat / fish?”. 

In Spanish, this question will be: β€œQuΓ© tal tu carne / pescado?”

How would you answer that?

Obviously, you’d need a few descriptive adjectives, just like the ones below:

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ Test Your Spanish Knowledge πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ

  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ delicioso – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ delicious
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ saboroso – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ tasty
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ jugoso – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ juicy
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ seco – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ dry
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ desabrido – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ tasteless
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ magro – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ lean
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ grasiento – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ greasy
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ salado – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ salty
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ sin hueso – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ boneless
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ sin piel – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ skinless
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ duro – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ tough
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ tierno – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ tender

IMPORTANT: Keep in mind that adjectives in Spanish change their gender and number, so you’ll have to adjust their form according to the noun you use. 

The word β€œcarne” is feminine, and β€œpescado” is masculine. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ
A: ΒΏQuΓ© tal tu carne?
B: EstΓ‘ deliciosa! Muy jugosa y tierna. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§
A: How’s your meat?
B: It’s delicious! Very juicy and tender. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ
A: ΒΏCΓ³mo estΓ‘ su pescado, seΓ±or?
B: En realidad estΓ‘ un poco seco. ΒΏHay alguna salsa que me puede ofrecer?
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§
A: How’s your fish, sir?
B: Actually, it is a little dry. Is there any sauce you can offer?

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ
A: Este corte es demasiado grasiento. 
B: Tienes razΓ³n. Busquemos algo mΓ‘s magro. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§
A: This cut is very greasy.
B: You’re right. Let’s look for something leaner. 

Steak cooking points and how to indicate them in Spanish

How do you like your beef? I always make sure that mine is well done. I hate seeing a tiny spot of red or pink on the plate.

If you are fussy like me, you’ll surely want to know how to describe your preferences if a waiter inquires.

  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ punto de cocciΓ³n – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ cooking point
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ bien cocido – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ well-done 
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ a punto / tres cuartos – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ medium
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ punto medio / jugoso – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ medium-rare
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ a la inglesa / rojo – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ rare

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ
A: ΒΏCΓ³mo le gusta la carne, seΓ±ora?
B: A punto, por favor. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§
A: How do you like your steak, madam?
B: Medium, please. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ
A: Disculpe, a mi bistec le falta cocciΓ³n. 
B: Por supuesto, a su orden.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§
A: Excuse me, my steak still needs some cooking.
B: Of course, at your order. 

If you are looking for some more restaurant-related Spanish vocabulary, check out my post on that topic. 

How to name different beef cuts in Spanish

To finish with, here is a little something for real meat lovers and connoisseurs. 

As you well know, not every beef cut tastes the same, and each of them requires different preparation. 

Given the fact that Spanish is so-wildly spoken, names of cuts vary from country to country. The ones that I am presenting here are the ones used in Chile, where I live. 

  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ filete – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ fillet
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ bife – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ rib eye
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ lomo – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ loin
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ lomo liso / solomillo – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ sirloin
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ falda / tapabarriga – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ flank
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ costillar  – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ ribs
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ tapapecho – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ brisket
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ paleta – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ chuck
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ entraΓ±a – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ outside skirt
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ plateada – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ short plate
  • πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ punta de ganso – πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ rump

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ El lomo queda muy bien a la parilla. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Grilled loin is very good. 

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ Compra un kilo de filete, por favor. 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ Buy a kilogram of beef fillet, please.

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ DΓ©me medio kilo de plateada.
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ I’d like (literally β€œgive me”) half a kilogram of short plate.

πŸ‡ͺπŸ‡Έ El tapapecho estΓ‘ delicioso. ΒΏCΓ³mo lo preparaste? 
πŸ‡¬πŸ‡§ The brisket is delicious. How did you prepare it?

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Joanna Lupa
Joanna Lupa
Polish by birth, Chilean by the turns of life. Has spent 20 years in that beautiful South American country working as a language teacher and translator. Has taught Spanish and English to students of all proficiency levels. Passionate about languages, books, and traveling. A mother of 2 trilingual teenagers.

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