From Fiesta to Siesta: 97 Spanish Phrases in English To Simplify Your Studying


Except you always dissect the etymology of on a regular basis phrases, you might be stunned by all of the Spanish phrases in English you unknowingly use. Maybe you latterly talked about las alpacas (the alpacas) at a petting zoo or advised your neighbor of your plans to put in un patio (a patio) in your yard. Loanwords are phrases adopted from one language into one other and are sometimes utilized in on a regular basis dialog.

Just like the abundance of French loanwords in English, many frequent English phrases are immediately borrowed from Spanish. These Spanish loanwords can present a well-known basis and be a stepping stone to studying Spanish.

How are Spanish loanwords totally different from cognates? 

Because the identify suggests, loanwords are borrowed from different languages. They typically retain their unique spelling or change in keeping with the grammar and pronunciation guidelines of the recipient language. Cognates, however, share a standard ancestor and have advanced from the identical root phrase.

Like Spanish loanwords, cognates can speed up language studying by offering learners with acquainted vocabulary utilized in on a regular basis dialogue. Cognate phrases are similar or almost similar phrase pairs that almost all typically have the identical that means, resulting from their shared origin. There are lots of of English-Spanish cognates with shared Latin or Greek origins: animal (animal), physician (physician), and taxi (taxi) to call just a few. Nevertheless, it’s vital to be careful for false cognates in Spanish, that are phrases which will look related however have totally different meanings.

Whereas thought-about an ideal Spanish cognate phrase, chocolate (chocolate) can also be one of the crucial frequent Spanish loanwords, borrowed from the Nahuatl language of the Aztec individuals. This instance highlights the complexity of phrase origins and the customarily blurred traces between cognates and loanwords. 

Food and drinks Spanish phrases in English 

A number of millennia earlier than the avocado toast pattern swept the US, the Nahua individuals of Mexico’s highlands have been already savoring this scrumptious fruit. Initially referred to as āhuacatl within the Nahuatl language, the Spanish adopted the phrase once they arrived within the Americas and modified it to aguacate. Deemed too troublesome for Individuals to pronounce, the phrase advanced into the English “avocado.”

This temporary historical past of the phrase avocado exhibits how languages can borrow phrases from one another, making studying a brand new language somewhat simpler. Encountering acquainted foods and drinks phrases—like taco, salsa, and mojito—as Spanish phrases in English could make the language studying course of extra pleasant.

Basic meals Spanish loanwords in English

Beneath is an inventory of frequent meals Spanish phrases in English which have their origins in indigenous languages of the Americas. These phrases have been first adopted into Spanish and subsequently into English, changing into Spanish loanwords.

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
el aguacate the avocadopear-shaped fruit; derived from Nahuatl āhuacatl
el cacaothe cocoaseed from which chocolate is made; derived from Nahuatl cacáhua
el chocolatethe chocolatemeals product constituted of cacao beans; derived from Nahuatl xocolatl
el charquithe jerkydried meat; derived from Quechua ch’arki
la jícamathe jicamaedible root; derived from Nahuatl xicamatl
el maíz the maizeCentral American cereal plant; derived from Taino  mahiz
la papayathe papayatropical fruit; derived from Taino papáia
la patatathe potato starchy vegetable; derived from Taino batata
la quinoathe quinoaedible seed; derived from Quechua kinuwa
el tomate the tomatocrimson fruit; derived from Nahuatl tomatl
el vainilla the vanillaflavoring extract; derived from the Nahuatl phrase xānath

Mexican delicacies loanwords 

The recognition of Mexican delicacies has not solely launched us to a world of scrumptious flavors however has additionally enriched our vocabulary. Most of the phrases within the desk beneath originated from indigenous languages of the Americas, significantly Nahuatl. After first being borrowed into Spanish, they have been then adopted into English. 

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
el burritothe burritosmall flour tortilla wrapped round filling; a diminutive type of Spanish burro, that means “little donkey”
el chilethe chili pepperspicy pepper; derived from Nahuatl chilli
el chipotlethe chipotlesmoked scorching pepper; derived from chīlpoctli, the Nahuatl phrase for “smoked chili”
la enchiladathe enchiladatortilla rolled round a filling and lined in chili sauce; derived from chīllapītzalli, the Nahuatl phrase for “chili-flute”
la fajitathe fajitagrilled meat served with tortillas, comes from the Spanish phrase faja (belt/sash)
el guacamolethe guacamoleavocado-based dip; derived from ahuacamolli, the Nahuatl phrase for “avocado salsa”
el jalapeñothe jalapeñokind of chili pepper, derived from Nahuatl jalapa
el mojitothe mojitodiminutive type of Cuban Spanish mojo, a spicy sauce
el molethe moleflavorful sauce, spicy pepper; derived from Nahuatl mōlli
la quesadillathe quesadillatortilla crammed with cheese; derived from quesaditzin, the Nahuatl phrase for “folded tortilla”
el taco the taco a tortilla crammed with varied substances; derived from tlahco, the Nahuatl phrase for  “half” or “within the center”
el tamal the tamalesteamed masa dough crammed with meat or greens
la tortillathe tortillaflat, unleavened bread constituted of corn or wheat flour, derived from Nahuatl tlaxcalli

Spanish delicacies loanwords

Spanish delicacies is world-renowned and has made its manner into a number of languages, together with English. 

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
el chorizo the chorizo cured sausage
el churro the churro fried dough pastry
el gazpacho the gazpacho chilly tomato soup 
la paella the paella rice dish with saffron; comes from Latin patella (pan) 
la sangría the sangria wine punch with fruit; comes from the Spanish phrase sangre (blood)
la tapa the tapa small plate of meals; comes from the verb tapar (to cowl)

Animal loanwords from Spanish

There are over 175 animals in Spanish which are helpful phrases for Spanish language learners to know. Many of those phrases are already acquainted to English audio system because of Spanish loanwords.

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
la alpacathe alpacaSouth American mammal; derived from Aymara allpaqa
el armadillothe armadilloarmored mammal; derived from the Spanish phrase for “little armored one”
el caimánthe caimanmassive reptile just like an alligator; derived from Taino caiman
el burro the burro donkey; derived from the Spanish phrase borrico (donkey)
el coyotethe coyoteNorth American wild canine; derived from Nahuatl coyotl
la iguanathe iguanamassive lizard; derived from Taino iwana
el jaguarthe jaguarmassive feline; derived from Tupi-Guaraní yaguara
la llamathe llamaSouth American mammal; derived from Quechua
el manatíthe manateemassive aquatic mammal; derived from Taino manatí
el mosquitothe mosquitoSpanish phrase that means “little fly”
el ocelotethe ocelotnoticed wild cat; derived from Nahuatl tlalocelot
el puma the pumamassive cat; derived from Quechua that means “highly effective animal”
la vicuñathe vicuñaSouth American mammal; derived from Quechua

Spanish loanwords that formed the American ranch

Whereas the American West is often related to ranch tradition, its origins date again to the sixteenth century when the Spanish settled in Mexico and Florida, bringing cattle, horses, and different livestock. Their ranching practices, and accompanying vocabulary, turned ingrained within the tradition.

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
las chaparrerasthe leather-based chapsleather-based leggings; derived from the Spanish phrase chaparro (kermes oak)
el corralthe corrallivestock enclosure; derived from the Spanish phrase for “pen”
la estampidathe stampedea sudden rush of a big group of animals; derived from the Spanish verb estampar (to stamp/to crush)
el lazothe lassoa rope used to catch cattle or horses
el ponchothe ponchoa cloak sometimes worn in South America; derived from the Indigenous languages of the Andes
el ranchothe rancha big farm or property, particularly one elevating livestock; derived from the Spanish phrase for “farm”
el rodeothe rodeoa North American contest of ability with horses and cattle; derived from the Spanish phrase for “roundup”
el sombrerothe sombreroa wide-brimmed hat; derived from the Spanish phrase for “hat” (actually, “shade maker”)
el vaquerothe vaquero/the cowboyan individual who tends cattle on a ranch; derived from the Spanish phrase for “cowboy”

Cultural Spanish loanwords 

With its distinctive way of life features and interesting traditions, Spain holds a robust cultural affect worldwide. The cultural trade between Spain and the US has resulted within the adoption of many Spanish phrases in English associated to way of life, artwork, music, and extra.

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
el aficionadothe aficionadofanatic, fan; derived from the Spanish verb aficionar (to encourage affection)
el cigarrothe cigarettesmall roll of tobacco for smoking; derived from the Mayan phrase sicar
el purothe cigarrolled tobacco leaf for smoking; derived from the Spanish phrase for “pure”
la fiestathe fiestacelebration; derived from the Spanish phrase for “feast” or “competition”
la guerrillathe guerrillamember of an armed army unit; derived from the Spanish phrase for “little conflict”
el mariachithe mariachiconventional Mexican musical group; derived from the Nahuatl phrase mariache
el matadorthe matadorbullfighter; derived from the Spanish phrase for “killer”
la rumbathe rumbaenergetic Cuban dance and music; derived from the Latin American phrase for “celebration” or “celebration” 
la siestathe siestaafternoon nap; derived from Latin sexta (sixth hour)
la telenovelathe telenovelacleaning soap opera
el vigilantethe vigilanteone that takes the regulation into their very own fingers; derived from the Spanish phrase for “watchman” or “guard”

Spanish loanwords about landscapes and climate

When Spanish explorers arrived within the American Southwest, they encountered new geographical options, akin to cañones (canyons) and mesas (mesas). They used their language to explain these options, and these Spanish phrases finally made their manner into English. 

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
el arroyothe arroyosmall, steep-sided streambed, that means “water channel” in Spanish
la calderathe calderamassive, volcanic crater
el cañónthe canyondeep, slender valley; derived from the Spanish phrase cañon, which suggests “tube” or “pipe”
el chaparralthe chaparraldense, drought-resistant shrubs; derived from the Spanish phrase chaparro (evergreen oak)
el huracánthe hurricanestorm with violent wind; derived from Taino
el llanothe llanoflat, treeless plain; comes from the Spanish phrase “plain”
la mesathe mesaflat-topped hill or mountain; comes from the Spanish phrase for “desk”
la pampathe pampagrass-covered plain; derived from Quechua
la sabanathe savannaderived from Taino zabana
la sierrathe sierramountain vary; derived from Latin serra (noticed)
el twisterthe twisterrotating column of air; comes from the Spanish phrases tronada (thunderstorm) and  tornar (to show)

Spanish loanwords for crops 

English has adopted many phrases from Spanish associated to crops native to the Americas. 

SpanishEnglishWhich means/Origin
el mezquitethe mesquite treethorny tree or shrub; derived from Nahuatl mizquitl
el nopalthe nopal cactuscactus, utilized in Mexican delicacies; derived from the Nahuatl phrase for “prickly pear”
el peyotethe peyotesmall, spineless cactus, utilized in conventional ceremonies; derived from Nahuatl peyōtl 
el pimientothe pimentokind of bell pepper; derived from the Latin phrase for “pigment”
el pinolethe pinoleconventional Mexican drink constituted of roasted corn; derived from the Aztec phrase for “toasted grain”
el roble the robleoak tree
el sasafrásthe sassafrasNorth American tree with fragrant leaves and roots
el tabacothe tobaccoplant used for smoking and different functions; derived from Taino
la zarzaparrillathe sarsaparillavine used to taste drinks; a mixture of the Spanish phrases for “bramble” and “vine”

Spanish phrases and slang loanwords

Whereas most Spanish loanwords are nouns, just a few Spanish slang phrases and phrases have grow to be frequent in English. 

Spanish English Which means/Origin
adiósadiosgoodbye
incomunicadoincommunicadowith out technique of communication
locolocofrenzied
nadanadanothing
prontoprontoquickly, rapidly
vamosvamooseto depart rapidly: derived from Spanish vamos (let’s go)

Spanish place names in English 

Along with metropolis and state names like Colorado (red-colored) and Buena Vista (good view), Spanish has additionally contributed sorts of locations to the English language. 

Spanish PhraseEnglish PhraseWhich means/Origin
la bodegathe bodegawine cellar; derived from Arabic butayqa 
la cafeteríathe cafeteria meals service location; borrowed from Spanish cafetería (espresso home)
la haciendathe hacienda a big property or plantation; derived from Previous Spanish facienda (property)
el jacalthe jacal hut; derived from Nahuatl xahcalli
el patiothe patio outside space adjoining to deal with; derived from the Spanish phrase for “courtyard”
la plazathe plaza public sq.; comes from the Spanish phrase for “sq.”
el presidio the presidio fortified settlement; comes from the Spanish verb presidir (to preside) 

Grasp Spanish loanwords with Rosetta Stone 

Recognizing frequent Spanish phrases in English is a great tool for constructing your vocabulary. A listing of Spanish loanwords along with cognate phrases provides you an important start line for establishing significant sentences in Spanish.

Though loanwords could look related in Spanish and English, they typically have totally different pronunciation guidelines. With Rosetta Stone’s TruAccent speech recognition engine providing you with fast pronunciation suggestions, you need to use these loanwords in your Spanish conversations confidently. 

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