Food and drink in Catalan

241 words in Catalan on the topic “food and drink”: el cafè — coffee, el te — tea, l'aigua — water, el pa — bread. 241 words can be played from recordings.

Updated September 1, 2026 · Lingofly

241 words on the topic

el cafè
coffee
The drink and the place in one. The el is the masculine article — and a gender hint
el te
tea
El te with the accent is 'tea'; te without it is 'to you'. The pair works like sí and si
l'aigua
water
A feminine word, yet the article is el, which shrinks to l' before a vowel: l'aigua. The apostrophe is not decoration — it is obligatory spelling
el pa
bread
The bakery is a fleca — a word Spanish does not have. Pa amb tomàquet, bread with tomato, is the country's signature snack
el formatge
cheese
A cousin of French fromage and it sounds like it: fur-MAH-juh. The final t is faint
la carn
meat
Meat of any kind. The cuts are described: carn de vedella is beef, carn de porc is pork
el peix
fish
The x is a sh here: pesh. The fish in the sea is peix too — unlike Spanish, which keeps a separate word for it
la fruita
fruit
A collective, so it stays singular: m'agrada la fruita — I like fruit. One piece is una fruita
la poma
apple
Hence pomar, an apple orchard. In Catalan New York stays la Gran Poma — the Big Apple
la taronja
orange
Both the fruit and the color: una samarreta taronja — an orange T-shirt. Valencia, which sent the word across Europe, is orange country
el tomàquet
tomato
In Valencia they say la tomaca — the same word, feminine: one of the markers of where a person is from
l'amanida
salad
From amanir, to dress. In Catalonia it is vegetables with oil and vinegar, not anything under mayonnaise
la sopa
soup
And 'to have dinner' is sopar: the Catalan evening meal is named after a spoonful of soup
la sal
salt
Feminine, though it ends in a consonant: «la sal». A pinch of salt is «un pessic de sal»
bo
tasty
Full forms: bo about a man or a thing, bona about a woman or a feminine thing. About food they speak through estar: està bo — tasty right now
la llet
milk
The ll at the start is a soft ly. Cafè amb llet is the morning classic: half the cup is milk
menjar
to eat
Both 'to eat' and 'to have lunch': menjem a les dos? — shall we have lunch at two? The noun 'food' is the same word: el menjar
beure
to drink
To drink in the plain sense. Softer and broader is prendre: prenguem alguna cosa? — shall we get something to drink?
l'esmorzar
breakfast
Both noun and verb: esmorzar — to have breakfast. The Catalan breakfast is pa amb tomàquet eaten standing
el dinar
lunch
The main meal of the day, at two o'clock. Dinar is also the verb "to have lunch": dinem a les dues?
el sopar
dinner
Both the dinner and "to have dinner": sopem a les nou. In Valencia dinner comes later than you are used to
mastegar
to chew
mu-stuh-GAH. Hence mastegar xiclet — to chew gum: the same word
empassar
to swallow
No puc empassar — I cannot swallow: said of a sore throat and of unpleasant news alike
l'apetit
appetite
Masculine, with l'. Bon profit! — enjoy your meal, said before eating
el tros
piece
A piece of bread, of cake, of land: un tros de pa. A colloquial word of the first month
l'olor
smell
Feminine. Fer olor — to smell: la cuina fa bona olor — the kitchen smells good
l'oli
oil (olive)
Always with l'. Oli d'oliva — olive oil: the base of the local kitchen, they pour it on bread. Butter is another word: la mantega
la patata
potato
Plural: «patates». Chips are «patates fregides»
la farina
flour
No plural: flour is measured, not counted. Farina de blat — wheat flour, literally "flour of wheat"
la mel
honey
One syllable with an open e and a dark l: MEL. Counted by the jar: un pot de mel. Rosemary honey from the Albufera is a local pride
els fruits secs
nuts
Literally "dry fruits": nuts here are fruit. The allergy phrase is back: tinc al·lèrgia als fruits secs
la ceba
onion
SEH-buh. The base of the sofrit — the slow frying half of local dishes start with. It makes people cry, and plorar fits right here
la pastanaga
carrot
puh-tuh-NAH-juh — a soft j, as in platja. The plural is pastanagues: before u the g sounds softer
el pebrot
pepper (bell)
The vegetable is pebrot, the spice in the mortar is pebre: two words of one root. Pebrot vermell — a bell pepper
la mongeta
bean
moon-ZHEH-tuh. Mongeta verda — green bean, mongeta blanca — white bean: color splits one bean in two
les espècies
spices
With the accent on the é. The same word as espècie, a species in biology: spices here are "kinds". Valencian saffron is the priciest of them
cuinar
to cook
The same nest as la cuina and el cuiner: kitchen, cook and cooking — one word. Cuinar bé — to cook well
rentar
to wash
Rentadora and el rentat — the washing machine and the wash — come from this verb. Rentar-se les mans — to wash one's hands
el ganivet
knife
guh-nee-VET with a stressed e and a t at the end. El ganivet i la forquilla — knife and fork
bullir
to boil
boo-LYEER: the double ll is ly. Water "boils": l'aigua bull — the same word. Potatoes bull in the pot
fregir
to fry
fruh-ZHEER. Hence patates fregides — fried potatoes: the same participle. Ous fregits — fried eggs, literally "fried eggs"
coure
to bake
To bake is "to cook in the oven": el forn is the oven and the stove-mouth at once. Coure pa — to bake bread, coure al forn — in the oven: the method is often added
tallar
to cut
tuh-LYAHR: the double ll is ly. Tallar el cabell — to cut hair: the same word. La talla — the size, also from here
l'olla
pot
O-lya: the double ll is ly. Olla a pressió — a pressure cooker, literally "pot under pressure". A big cauldron is an olla too
la paella
frying pan
The famous dish is named after the pan: paella is the pan first and only then the rice with seafood. Valencia is the homeland of both
el fogó
stove
From foc, fire: the stove here is a burner. El fogó té quatre focs — four burners, literally "fires": counted by fire
el plat
plate
PLAHT. The same word means "dish": un plat de peix — a plate of fish and a fish dish. In a restaurant the word returns
la tassa
cup
Plural: «tasses». «Una tassa de cafè» — a cup of coffee: the word is also a measure
el got
glass
One syllable. The main measure of liquid: un got d'aigua — a glass of water. The pair: la tassa — with a handle, el got — without
la cullera
spoon
ku-LYEH-ruh: the double ll is ly. A little spoon is cullereta, also the teaspoon: the diminutive works
la forquilla
fork
A diminutive of forca, a pitchfork: a "little pitchfork". The double ll is ly. The whole set: ganivet, forquilla i cullera
l'ampolla
bottle
With l'. Un coll d'ampolla — a bottleneck, literally the neck of the bottle. Una ampolla d'aigua — water in a bottle
la nevera
fridge
From la neu, snow: the fridge here is a "snowbox". What makes snow stands in the kitchen. Ice is el gel
el tovalló
napkin
Masculine: el tovalló; a paper one is tovalló de paper. Its relative la tovallola is the towel: similar words, different things
la tetera
teapot
From te, tea: a "tea-cooker". La tetera xiula — the teapot whistles: the signal that the water is ready
la safata
tray
suh-FAH-tuh. Safata d'entrada — the inbox tray on a desk: a tray here too. The waiter carries exactly this
calent
hot
Feminine: «calenta». The weather is said differently: «fa calor» — it’s hot
fred
cold (adjective)
Fa fred is 'it's cold'; here the same word is an adjective. Feminine freda. Aigua freda — the request of every bar
afamat
hungry
From la fam, hunger: "full of hunger". In life they say tinc fam — "I hold hunger", like tinc por; the adjective is bookish
el gust
taste
The taste of food and of a person: bon gust works both ways. The taster's question: quin gust té? — what does it taste like?
salat
salty
From la sal, salt: "salted". Feminine salada. The classic question about the soup: és massa salat? — is it too salty?
agre
sour
Two syllables. Feminine agra. Llet agra — sour milk: the same word about what has gone off
amarg
bitter
The final g sounds like k: uh-MARK. Feminine amarga. Coffee without sugar and dark chocolate are both amarg
picant
hot (spicy)
From picar, to sting: spicy here is "stinging". It does not change by gender: salsa picant. Chili peppers are described with it too
ple
full (fed)
Literally "full": estic ple — I have eaten enough. The same word about a wardrobe and a bus: el bus va ple. The politer way is ja estic bé
provar
to try (food)
El provador and emprovar — the fitting room and trying clothes on — come from this verb. Provar is also tasting food: one word for shop and kitchen
el menú
set menu
With the accent on the ú. El menú del dia — a fixed three-course lunch at one price, the pride of local bars. The list of dishes is also la carta
el cambrer
waiter
Feminine: «la cambrera». To call the waiter: «Cambrer, si us plau!»
la comanda
order (restaurant)
From comandar, to command: an order here is a command. Fer la comanda — to place the order. The verb partner is demanar
demanar
to order
Both to order, to ask and to request: demanar el menú, demanar l'hora. The waiter waits for exactly this word
el plat
dish
The same word as the plate: the dish is what is on the plate. El plat del dia — the dish of the day
la ració
portion
From Latin ratio, a share: a portion here is a share. Una ració de pa — a portion of bread: half or whole, that is how they ask
la taula per a dos
table for two
Literally "table for two": no special little table. The request of the first minute: una taula per a dos, si us plau
les postres
dessert
Only plural: de postres — for dessert. The classic of the country is fruit: de postres, fruita is what waiters hear most
sense carn
meat-free
Sense — without: the same word as in sense sucre. La carn is meat: the phrase assembles from two simple halves
la propina
tip
Close to the Spanish word: deixar propina — to leave a tip. Tips here are small: coins and rounding up the bill
la pasta
pasta
Feminine and most often singular: menjo pasta tres cops per setmana. Do not mix it up with la pasta de dents — that paste cleans teeth
el iogurt
yogurt
Spelled with io-, not yo-: the Catalan orthography is its own. For breakfast — with honey: un iogurt amb mel
la nata
cream (dairy)
Feminine. Nata muntada — whipped cream: it is "carried up the mountain". Coffee with cream is cafè amb nata
el gelat
ice cream
The participle of gelar — to freeze: ice cream here is "frozen". The flavor is specified after: gelat de xocolata
la xocolata
chocolate
Feminine, with four syllables: xo-co-la-ta. The classic afternoon snack: pa amb xocolata — bread with chocolate
la galeta
cookie
Feminine. One cookie is una galeta, a pack is un paquet de galetes: hence cookies "in a crowd"
la vedella
beef
The first meaning is «heifer», a young cow. At the market it is asked for by weight: «un quilo de vedella»
el xai
lamb
Literally "the lamb": as everywhere, the word slid from the animal to the meat. On the grill — xai a la brasa
les gambes
shrimp (plural)
Only plural — a whole shoal of them. Feminine: una gamba — one shrimp, but who is counting?
el raïm
grapes
Masculine, collective: el raïm — both grapes and the bunch. On New Year's night twelve berries are eaten — dotze raïms
el cogombre
cucumber
Masculine, a long and honest word — simply a cucumber. Into the salad — with tomato
la col
cabbage
Feminine and as short as can be. Do not mix it up with el coll — the neck: one letter, a big difference
l'all
garlic
Two cloves — dos alls: the plural on -s. Catalan cooking begins with it: all i oli — garlic with oil
la carbassa
pumpkin
Feminine. The same word also describes an empty-headed chatterbox: cap de carbassa. Pumpkin soup is sopa de carbassa
l'albergínia
eggplant
A word of Arabic origin, feminine. On the grill with oil and salt — albergínia a la brasa — the simplest and the tastiest
la llimona
lemon
Feminine. Com una llimona — sour as a lemon: said of faces too. Tea with lemon is te amb llimona
la síndria
watermelon
A word of Arabic origin, feminine. The watermelon is the summer fruit number one: a l'estiu, síndria a la nevera
la maduixa
strawberry
Feminine. Cream with strawberries — the standing desserts: maduixes amb nata. A cute word, red like the berry itself
la pera
pear
Feminine and short, like the berry itself. Do not mix it up with la pedra — the stone: one letter, and only one of them can be bitten
el préssec
peach
With the stress on the é: prés-sec. Do not mix it up with el pèsol — the pea: the stress divides them
la recepta del plat
recipe (dish)
Literally "the recipe of the dish": la recepta — also the medical prescription. The cooking one lives on the internet and at grandmas
pelar les verdures
to peel the vegetables
Pelar — to peel: potatoes, carrots, apples — all are peled. The first action of any recipe: primer, pela les verdures
posar a bullir
to bring to a boil
Literally "to set to boil": bullir — to boil. Water does not boil by itself — it is "set": posa a bullir l'aigua
remenar
to stir
Its own word, not international. Soup, sauce and coffee are stirred with the same verb: remena el cafè
posar sal
to add salt
Literally "to put salt": the same sal. The standing advice: prova-ho abans de posar sal — taste before salting
escalfar
to heat up
The same root as «calent», hot. Don’t mix it up with «escalar», to climb: one letter, different summits
refredar
to cool
A relative of the head cold — el refredat: to cool and to catch cold — one nest. A cake is cooled before cutting: deixa refredar el pastís
batre els ous
to whisk the eggs
Batre — to beat: eggs are "beaten" here, as everywhere. Whisked with a fork or a mixer: amb una forquilla o amb la batedora
afegir aigua
to add water
Afegir — to add: the preposition a means "to what". The soup went thick? Afegir aigua poc a poc — little by little
fer a la brasa
to grill (over coals)
Literally "to do on embers": la brasa — a glowing coal. The Catalan grill is embers, not a grate: calamars a la brasa — the classic
la data de caducitat
expiration date
From «caducar», to expire. A yogurt lives until this date — after that, bin it
s'ha espatllat
it has gone off
S'ha espatllat is said about broken things, and about food: the milk "spoiled" by itself, without fault. The reflexive s' is "by itself"
el pot
jar
Masculine, a glass jar: pot de mel — a jar of honey. The tin one is already la llauna — a soda can
el paquet
pack
A twin word: both a parcel and a pack. Un paquet de galetes — a pack of cookies; package and pack are one paquet
l'extra
extra (charge)
An international feminine word: l'extra. At the café an extra always costs money: és un extra — for a separate price
per emportar
to take away (food)
Literally "for carrying": from emportar-se — to take with oneself. The question at the till: per menjar aquí o per emportar?
sense sucre
sugar-free
Literally "without sugar": el sucre — sugar, masculine. The request that makes the coffee more honest: un cafè sense sucre
sóc vegetarià
I am a vegetarian
For a woman — sóc vegetariana: gender in the ending. The explanation is simple: no menjo carn — I do not eat meat
tinc al·lèrgia als fruits secs
I am allergic to nuts
L'al·lèrgia — allergy, els fruits secs — nuts and dried fruit. The mid-dot in al·lèrgia is heard as a double l-l
bon profit
enjoy your meal
Literally "good profit": the meal is expected to bring profit — benefit. The Catalan answer to the wish: i a tu també
repartir el compte
to split the bill
Literally "to share out the bill": repartir — to distribute. At the restaurant we split it among everyone
la dieta
diet
A Greek word — "a way of life": not only weight-loss. The Mediterranean diet is rich in oil and vegetables
el menjar greixós
fatty food
Literally "fatty food": greixós — full of grease. After the holidays — a month without it
posar la taula
to set the table
Literally "to put the table": posar — to put, the table too. Before the guests come, it must be set
el sopar de festa
festive dinner
Literally "a holiday supper": the sopar of the basics, dressed for the occasion. At Christmas it lasts until midnight
la llaminadura
candy
A sweet tooth is «llaminer». «La llaminadura» covers both a toffee and marzipan
oferir
to offer (food)
A Latin relative of offer: to hold out. I want to offer you a glass of homemade wine
el plat típic
national dish
Literally "a typical dish": típic — of the type of the place. Every region has its own, and it is defended with pride
el menjar de carrer
street food
Literally "the food of the street": eaten standing, in the middle of the square. At the big city festival it smells of everything at once
immadur
unripe
Literally 'not ripe': im-muh-DOOR. Feminine immadura. Ripe is madur: one minus changes everything
podrit
rotten
From the Latin "to rot": poo-DREET. Feminine podrida: una poma podrida — a rotten apple
salat
salty
From la sal, salt: suh-LAT. It is the taste of food, and of sea water too
sense sal
bland
Literally 'without salt': blandness described honestly. For tasteless they also say pla — flat: a neighbor word
picant
spicy
From picar, to sting: pi-KANT — it stings the tongue
greixós
fatty
From el greix, fat: gruh-shohss. Feminine greixosa. About a person they say gras — fat
magre
lean
Skinny and lean in one word: MA-gruh. Carn magra — lean meat: how the label reads
el porc
pork
Masculine: the same word as the pig — animal and meat in one. Un entrepà de porc
el pollastre
chicken (meat)
Masculine: pu-LYAS-tre. A live laying hen is «la gallina»: don’t mix them up at the market
l'ànec
duck (meat)
Masculine, with the apostrophe: AH-nek. Catalan has its own quack, but at the market the meat is still l'ànec
la carn picada
minced meat
Literally 'chopped meat': an honest description — carn pi-KA-duh. Picar is 'to chop': the verb comes attached
el pernil
ham
Masculine: puhr-NEEL — a whole pig's leg. Pernil dolç is the cooked kind: here dolç means 'not salted', not 'sweet'
la salsitxa
sausage
Feminine: sal-SI-cha. On the grill — «a la brasa»: tastier that way
la tonyina
tuna
Feminine: too-NEE-nuh — a fish with a lady's name. La tonyina amb oli — tuna in oil: a can on every table
el salmó
salmon
Masculine, stress at the end: sal-MOH. El salmó fumat — smoked: on toast and at holidays
la gamba
shrimp
Feminine: GAM-buh — colloquially a 'leg': that is how it got its name. Gambes a la planxa — grilled
el marisc
seafood
Masculine, literally 'of the sea': mu-RISK, a collective word. Crayfish, mussels and shrimp all fit in
la pruna
plum
Feminine: PROO-nuh. The tree is el pruner: fruit and its family share a root
el gerd
raspberry
Masculine: ZHERT — a final d sounds like a soft t. Els gerds — a handful of berries: they grow by the forest
el meló
melon
Masculine: mu-LOH, an international word. In summer it is eaten in slices: una llesca de meló, a slice
la magrana
pomegranate
Feminine: mu-GRA-nuh — Latin 'grainy apple'. The crown on top is the giveaway
la pinya
pineapple
Feminine: PEEN-nyuh — Catalan for 'pine cone': the looks are honest. El suc de pinya — pineapple juice
la mandarina
mandarin
Feminine: man-duh-REE-nuh — named for the mandarins who wore its robes. In winter, crate after crate
el kiwi
kiwi (fruit)
Masculine, like at the neighbors': KEE-wee — a traveler's word. Furry outside, green inside
l'alvocat
avocado
Masculine, with the apostrophe: al-voo-KAT. A tropical guest that is a local: it grows on the coast. Madur — soft to the touch
les panses
raisins
Feminine plural: raisins are 'dried grapes' — les panses. Les panses són raïm sec — the formula is honest
la figa
fig
Feminine: FEE-guh — a word older than Rome. At the end of summer: les figues, sweet to the point of dizziness
el pebrot
pepper (vegetable)
Masculine: pur-BROT. Built on pebre, the spice, plus -ot: the vegetable grew out of the spice word
el carbassó
zucchini
Masculine, a diminutive of la carbassa, the pumpkin: a 'little pumpkin'. Els carbassons — there are always plenty
la remolatxa
beet
Feminine: rruh-moo-LA-chuh. It stains whatever it touches: hands and tablecloths remember
el rave
radish
Masculine, short: RRA-ve. «Els raves» — a bunch: with salt, a classic
les herbes
herbs
Feminine plural: herbs here come as 'the grasses' — les herbes. Herbes fresques — fresh herbs: a bunch from the market
l'anet
dill
Masculine, with the apostrophe: uh-NET, an international word. L'anet amb el peix — dill with fish: a classic pair
el julivert
parsley
Masculine: zhu-li-VERT. It grows in every pot on the balcony
el gingebre
ginger
Masculine: zhin-ZHEB-ruh — a soft zh, as in juny. Te amb gingebre — tea with ginger: it warms
el blat de moro
corn
Literally 'wheat of the Moors': blahd duh MOH-roo — the foreign grain that took root. Popcorn is made from it too
els espinacs
spinach
Masculine plural: us-pee-NAKS — like at the neighbors'. Frescs: they wilt in a day, so take a small bunch
el panet
bread roll
Masculine, the diminutive of pa, bread: puh-NET. Un panet amb tomàquet — the neighbors' breakfast
la coca
pastry
Feminine: KOH-kuh — flat baking for everyone, cut in squares. Sweet and salty kinds both exist
el pastisset
small cake
Masculine, a diminutive: a 'little pastís'. El pastís is the cake — this is its child
el bunyol
doughnut
Masculine: boon-NYOL — dough in oil. A cousin of Spanish buñuelo: one frying shared by both languages
la rebosteria
pastries
Feminine: rruh-boos-tru-REE-uh — everything sweet from the confectioner's at once. La botiga de rebosteria — the sweet shop
la melmelada
jam
Feminine: mel-me-LA-da. Plum and apricot are the classics
el xarop
syrup
Masculine: shuh-ROP, an international word. Xarop de llimona — lemon: for children and cocktails
les crispetes
popcorn
Feminine and usually plural: «les crispetes». No film without them
les patates xips
potato chips
Feminine plural: les patates xips — potatoes plus xip, from the English chip. Thin, yet they crunch loudly
el xiclet
chewing gum
Masculine: shee-KLET — from the sapodilla sap people chewed before the sugar age. Mastegar xiclet — to chew gum
la llimonada
lemonade
Feminine: lyee-moo-NA-duh, from la llimona, the lemon — hence the ll. In summer everyone drinks it: una llimonada freda
l'aigua mineral
mineral water
Feminine, with the apostrophe, literally 'mineral water'. Amb gas or sense gas — the choice is on the label
l'aigua amb gas
sparkling water
Literally 'water with gas': an international word. The bubbles are bombolles — they tickle the nose
el còctel
cocktail
Masculine, stress on the ò, an open o: KOK-tuhl, an international word. Un còctel de fruita — there is a fruit one too
el cacau
cocoa
Masculine: kuh-KOW — a word from America via the Spanish. Un cacau calent — hot cocoa: the winter drink of children
la bossa de té
tea bag
Literally 'a bag of tea': BOH-suh duh TEH. La bossa is a bag — a tea bag is its little job
l'aigua bullent
boiling water
Feminine, literally 'boiling water': boo-LYEN. Bullir is 'to boil'
l'alcohol
alcohol
Masculine, with the apostrophe, stress at the end: al-koo-OHL. Sense alcohol — alcohol-free: the label on every bottle
la beguda
drink
Feminine, from beure, to drink: buh-GOO-duh — "the thing drunk". Les begudes fredes — cold drinks: the menu starts with them
esmorzar
to have breakfast
Breakfast here is both verb and noun: esmorzar. Esmorzo a les set — I have breakfast at seven. L'esmorzar — the breakfast: a two-in-one word
dinar
to have lunch
To have lunch here is «di-NA». «El dinar» — lunch: the main meal of the day, around two o’clock
sopar
to have dinner
soo-PAH. El sopar — dinner: late and unhurried, often in company
l'aperitiu
snack
Masculine, with the apostrophe: uh-puh-ree-TEE-oo — what opens the appetite. Olives and chips are all aperitiu
la fam
hunger
Feminine, short: fam. Here you do not suffer it, you hold it: tinc fam — I'm hungry, literally 'I have hunger'
la set
thirst
Feminine, short: set. Tinc set — I'm thirsty: possession instead of suffering
l'hora de dinar
lunch break
Literally 'the hour of lunching': the break is honestly an 'hour'. From two to three: the shops sleep
tinc fam
I'm hungry
Literally 'I have hunger': TINK fam. Not estic but tinc: hunger here is property
tinc set
I'm thirsty
Literally 'I have thirst': TINK set. The partner of tinc fam — I'm hungry: both phrases about possession
ja n'he tingut prou
I'm full
Literally 'I have already had enough of it': counted and polite. Prou — enough
el congelador
freezer
The freezer is el congelador: it freezes and hides pizza. La nevera lives nearby
la cafetera
coffee maker
kuh-fuh-TEH-ruh — from el cafè; the morning starts with its sound. La cafetera italiana — the moka pot
el recipient hermètic
airtight container
Literally "a hermetic vessel": it closes tight, the soup will not escape. El recipient is just a container
el bol
mixing bowl
BOLL — the word flew in from English, like the dish itself. One whisks, kneads and has breakfast in it
el platet
saucer
A "little plate": el platet — the diminutive of el plat. Under the cup and under the sweets
la tassa
mug
Both a cup and a mug are la tassa. Just right for the morning cafè amb llet
la copa
wine glass
KOH-puh — on a thin stem, for vi i cava. Do not mix it up with el got, the glass: a copa has a stem
l'esponja
sponge
oon-SPON-zhuh — yellow, rough on one side; washes plates and drinks water. Lives by the sink
la pinça de roba
clothespin
Literally "a grip of clothes": it holds laundry on the line, and in the kitchen it clips bags of cookies
posar la tetera al foc
to put the kettle on
Honestly "to put the teapot on the fire": la tetera — the teapot, el foc — the fire. Gas or induction — foc stays
els fideus
noodles
fee-DEH-oos — thin pasta strands, they cook in three minutes. La fideuà — a paella with noodles, the pride of the coast
la mantega
butter
moo-NTUH-guh — made of milk, melts on warm bread. Margarine is la margarina; mantega is the honest butter
l'oli de gira-sol
sunflower oil
Literally "oil of the sunflower": el gira-sol — the sunflower. L'oli is oil; for frying they often take gira-sol here
la massa
dough
MAH-suh — flour, water and hands. Pizza, bread, empanada — each has its own massa
les farinetes
porridge
foo-ree-NEH-tuhs — the breakfast of small children and big hikes. Farinetes de civada — oatmeal
els flocs
flakes
FLOKS — flattened grains; flocs de civada — oat flakes. The same word as a snowflake
les llenties
lentils
lyun-TEE-uhs — little "coins". The capital dish is llenties estofades — stewed lentils with sausage
el cigró
chickpea
see-GROH — round, yellow, soaked overnight. Els cigrons amb espinacs — a classic of the tapas bar
l'ametlla
almond
oon-MEH-lya — the Christmas nut of these latitudes. El torró d'ametlla — nougat; the plural is ametlles
el cacauet
peanut
koo-koo-WET — a little cacau, cocoa; it grows underground. Cacauets salats — salted peanuts
l'espècia
spice
oon-SPEH-see-uh — a dried seed or powder from faraway lands. Les espècies canvien una sopa — spices change a soup
el condiment
seasoning
koon-dee-MENT — what is added to food to decorate the taste: salt, pepper, herbs. Condimentar — to season
el vinagre
vinegar
vee-NAH-gruh — wine that has gone sour: it reads just so, vi agre. Obligatory in the salad dressing
la salsa
sauce
SAL-suh — the liquid soul of a dish. La salsa de tomàquet — tomato sauce; és una altra salsa — "that's another story", says the language too
el quètxup
ketchup
KET-chup — masculine, a Chinese word via England, spelled the Catalan way: quètxup, with qu and tx. Children spread it on everything that does not ask permission
la maionesa
mayonnaise
moo-yoo-NEH-zoo — named after Mahón, a town on Menorca. Eggs and olive oil whipped by patience
la mostassa
mustard
moos-TAH-suh — yellow and sharp; it comes alive with sausage. Mostassa de Dijon — the French guest
la canyella
cinnamon
kuh-NYEH-lya — bark in a stick; smells of Christmas and crema catalana. Into dough it goes ground
el pebre negre
black pepper
Honestly "black pepper": el pebre — pepper in general. It is best ground at the last moment
el brou
broth
BROO — what something was cooked in. El brou de gallina — grandma's cure for every ailment
la gerra
pitcher
ZHEH-rruh — with a handle and a spout. Una gerra d'aigua fresca stands at the center of every summer table
el termos
thermos
TEHR-moos, with a final s — keeps things hot until evening. El termos de cafè — the companion of all excursions
la sucrera
sugar bowl
soo-KREH-ruh — from el sucre; feminine. It stands on the table next to the teapot
els coberts
cutlery
From «cobrir», to cover, to lay the table: knife, fork and spoon together. «Un joc de coberts» — a cutlery set
la cullereta
teaspoon
A "little spoon": the diminutive of la cullera. It stirs the coffee and the medicine
la cullera sopera
tablespoon
The soup spoon: it ladles soup and measures recipes. Una cullera sopera d'oli — a tablespoon of oil
la palleta
drinking straw
A "little straw": from la palla, straw; a thin tube for juice. Beure amb palleta — to drink through a straw
la graella
grill
groo-EH-lya — a grid of bars; fish and vegetables are cooked on it. A la graella — on the grill
l'aperitiu
appetizer
Both a snack and an appetizer are l'aperitiu: what is served before lunch, with vermouth. Fer l'aperitiu — to have a pre-meal bite
la guarnició
side dish
goo-rruh-nee-SOH — the "clothing" of the dish: potatoes, vegetables, salad. On the menu it lives after the fish and meat
frit
fried
From the pan with hot oil; feminine frita. Patates fregides — the same family of words
bullit
boiled
From the pot with boiling water; bullir — to boil. The boiled has its own truth: softer and more honest
assecat
dried
From assecar, to dry. Tomatoes assecats al sol — sun-dried: a concentrate of summer
congelat
frozen
It sleeps in the freezer until needed. Pèsols congelats — the rescue of every cook
a punt
ready (dish)
Literally "at the point": the dish is ready right now. El dinar és a punt! — the call to the table
natural
natural
Without tricks, as from the garden; it does not change by gender. Suc natural — juice without added sugar
carregat
strong (tea)
Literally "loaded": tea or coffee with a double dose of leaf; feminine carregada. Un cafè ben carregat wakes better than an alarm clock
casolà
homemade
kuh-soo-LAH — from casa; el menjar casolà — made at home, with hands. Feminine casolana
la pell
peel (fruit)
Both human skin and fruit peel are la pell: the fruit has its own. Pell de llimona ratllada — grated zest: half the smell of baking
el pinyol
fruit pit
peen-YOL — the seed inside the fruit; in a peach it is big — l'ós. It sleeps inside and waits for the garden

Download the word set (CSV) · Open the printable sheet

The CSV contains spelling, reading guides, translations and links to word pages. Use the browser menu to save the printable sheet as a PDF.

How it sounds in a sentence

A word list is a blank. Conversation is made of sentences, and these are the ones the words fit into most often.

What is worth knowing about these words

el cafè — coffee. The drink and the place in one. The el is the masculine article — and a gender hint.

el te — tea. El te with the accent is 'tea'; te without it is 'to you'. The pair works like sí and si.

l'aigua — water. A feminine word, yet the article is el, which shrinks to l' before a vowel: l'aigua. The apostrophe is not decoration — it is obligatory spelling.

el pa — bread. The bakery is a fleca — a word Spanish does not have. Pa amb tomàquet, bread with tomato, is the country's signature snack.

Test yourself

First by ear — the way you will meet the word in conversation. Click the speaker and pick the translation.

What is this word?
It is el cafè — coffee.
What is this word?
It is la fruita — fruit.
What is this word?
It is bo — tasty.
What is this word?
It is mastegar — to chew.
What is this word?
It is la farina — flour.

Now the other way around: recall the spelling from the meaning. That is harder, and therefore more useful.

How do you say “coffee” in Catalan?
The drink and the place in one. The el is the masculine article — and a gender hint
How do you say “fruit” in Catalan?
A collective, so it stays singular: m'agrada la fruita — I like fruit. One piece is una fruita
How do you say “tasty” in Catalan?
Full forms: bo about a man or a thing, bona about a woman or a feminine thing. About food they speak through estar: està bo — tasty right now
How do you say “to chew” in Catalan?
mu-stuh-GAH. Hence mastegar xiclet — to chew gum: the same word
How do you say “flour” in Catalan?
No plural: flour is measured, not counted. Farina de blat — wheat flour, literally "flour of wheat"

How to learn the set instead of just reading it

A menu, a market, a shop sign, the question “what is this?”. Food is the most frequent subject of the first weeks and the safest excuse to start talking.

A list is read in a minute and forgotten in a day. What works: hide the translation, try to recall, get it wrong — and come back to the same words tomorrow.

Recalling beats re-reading. Covering the translation and trying to remember it does more than reading it ten more times.checked many times
Adesope, Trevisan & Sundararajan, 2017, Review of Educational Research 87(3) · 188 experiments, 272 comparisons. g = 0.61; against plain re-reading 0.51, against passive review 0.93.
Study spread over days wins not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many times
Mawson & Kang, 2025, Behavioral Sciences 15(6):771 · 22 studies, d = 0.54 (confidence interval 0.31–0.77). The authors warn that individual studies disagree widely.

Frequently asked

How do you say “coffee” in Catalan?

«el cafè». The drink and the place in one. The el is the masculine article — and a gender hint. It is one of 241 words in the set “food and drink” — the rest are in the table above.

How many food words do you need to start?

The whole set on this page is 241 words, but there is no need to start with all of it: the words you will need in the next few days are enough. Take them a few at a time — five to seven new ones per session.

Is there audio?

Yes, 241 words on this page can be played — click the speaker next to the word. The sound works on any phone, and nothing needs to be installed.

Food and drink in Catalan

241 words on the topic

How it sounds in a sentence

What is worth knowing about these words

Test yourself

How to learn the set instead of just reading it

Frequently asked

How do you say “coffee” in Catalan?

How many food words do you need to start?

Is there audio?

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