Food and drink in Valencian
241 words Valencian words on the topic “food and drink”: el cafè — coffee, el te — tea, l'aigua — water, el pa — bread.
241 words on the topic
- el cafècoffeeBoth the drink and the place. The article el tells you the gender — nouns are learned with it, like la taronja
- el teteaEl te with an accent is tea; te without one is to you. The pair works just like sí and si
- l'aiguawaterA feminine word that takes the el-article squeezed into l': l'aigua. The apostrophe is not decoration, it is required spelling
- el pabreadThe bakery is the fleca, a word Spanish has nothing like. Pa amb tomaca — bread with tomato — is the country's signature snack
- el formatgecheeseA cousin of French fromage and it sounds like one: for-MA-dje. The final t is barely heard
- la carnmeatMeat in general. The cuts are built by description: carn de vedella — beef, carn de porc — pork
- el peixfishThe x sounds like sh here: pesh. Fish in the sea is peix too, where Spanish keeps a separate word
- la fruitafruitA collective, so it stays singular: m'agrada la fruita — I like fruit. One piece is una fruita
- la pomaappleHence pomar, an apple orchard. New York stays la Gran Poma — the Big Apple
- la taronjaorangeBoth the fruit and the color: una samarreta taronja — an orange T-shirt. Valencia, the city that sent the word across Europe, is orange country
- la tomacatomatoA Valencian word and form, feminine — the central norm says el tomàquet. The snack is the same: pa amb tomaca
- l'amanidasaladFrom amanir, to dress. Here it means vegetables with oil and vinegar, not anything under mayonnaise
- la sopasoupAnd to have supper is sopar — the evening meal is named after the spoon
- la salsaltFeminine even though it ends in a consonant. One meaning is a command from sortir: sal d'aquí! — out of here!
- botastyFull forms: bo about a man or a thing, bona about a woman or a feminine noun. Food is judged through estar: està bo — good right now
- la lletmilkA soft lyet at the end. Cafè amb llet is the morning classic, generous with milk in Valencia
- menjarto eatBoth to eat and to have lunch: mengem a les dos? — lunch at two? The we-form with g is a hallmark of the norm; central Catalan says menjem. The noun for food is the same word
- beureto drinkDrinking plain and simple. Softer and wider is prendre: prenguem alguna cosa? — shall we have something?
- l'esmorzarbreakfastThe meal itself, as a noun; the verb version lives apart in the course
- el dinarlunchThe main midday meal; el dinar de diumenge — the Sunday lunch, an institution
- el soparsupperThe evening meal, late and light; sopar a les deu — supper at ten
- mastegarto chewChew well — the grandmother's word at the table
- empassarto swallowSwallow food or pride; empassar-se les paraules — swallow your words
- l'apetitappetiteBon apetit! — the phrase before every meal here
- el trosa chunkThe plain piece — of bread, of cake; the un- entry was the polite slice
- l'olorsmellAny smell, good or bad; fer olor — to smell (of something)
- l'olioilThe oil; there is always some in the kitchen — pa amb oli is the old name of the tomato bread
- la patatapotatoThe potato; I buy it at the market
- la farinaflourThe flour; bread is made of it, water and salt
- la melhoneyThe honey; sweet and good with tea — and the mother of melmelada's name
- els fruits secsnutsLiterally dry fruits — the nuts; good for the heart
- la cebaonionSEH-buh. The base of the sofrit — the slow frying half of local dishes start with. It makes people cry, and plorar from the feelings lesson fits right here
- la pastanagacarrotpuh-tuh-NAH-juh — a soft j, as in platja. The plural is pastanagues: before u the g sounds softer
- el pebrotbell pepperThe entry is the pepper again — the salad kind; I put it in with the tomato
- la mongetabeanThe bean; the white kind goes with rice
- les espèciesspicesAlways plural in the set sense; they smell good in the kitchen
- cuinarto cookCook in the kitchen; today my dad does it
- rentarto wash (dishes)The entry is the washing — now the dishes; I wash them after lunch
- el ganivetknifeguh-nee-VET with a stressed é and a t at the end. El ganivet i la forquilla — knife and fork: the pair from the neighboring tableware lesson
- bullirto boilBoil the eggs for breakfast; the water bullir too
- fregirto fryfruh-ZHEER. Hence patates fregides — fried potatoes: the same participle. Ous fregits — fried eggs, literally "fried eggs"
- coureto bakeBake and cook through; mum bakes bread every week
- tallarto cuttuh-LYAHR: the double ll is ly. Tallar el cabell — to cut hair: the same word. La talla — the size, also from here
- l'ollapotThe cooking pot; the rice one is on the flame
- la paellafrying panThe pan — and the famous rice dish took its name from it
- el fogóstoveFrom foc, fire: the stove here is a burner. El fogó té quatre focs — four burners, literally "fires": counted by fire
- el platplateThe plate — and a whole dish: un plat de salad
- la tassacupThe cup; I wash them after coffee
- el gotglassThe drinking glass; one of cold water, please
- la culleraspoonku-LYEH-ruh: the double ll is ly. A little spoon is cullereta, also the teaspoon: the diminutive works
- la forquillaforkThe fork; knife and fork lie next to the plate
- l'ampollabottleWith l'. El coll de l'ampolla — the neck of the bottle, literally: you saw it in the body lesson. Una ampolla d'aigua — water in a bottle
- la neverafridgeFrom la neu, snow: the fridge here is a "snowbox". What makes snow stands in the kitchen. Ice is el gel
- la servilletanapkinThe napkin; give me one, please
- la teterakettleThe teapot-kettle; I put it on the stove
- la safatatrayThe tray; I carry it with the cups
- calenthotHot; careful, the soup is hot!
- fredcold (adj)Cold to the sense; the river water is cold
- afamathungryFrom la fam, hunger: "full of hunger". In life they say tinc fam — "I hold hunger", like tinc por; the adjective is bookish
- el gusttasteThe taste of food and of a person: bon gust works both ways. The taster's question: quin gust té? — what does it taste like?
- salatsaltedThe entry is the salty again; the soup is too salted
- agresourOne syllable. Feminine agra. Llet agra — sour milk: the same word about what has gone off
- amargbitterBitter; coffee without sugar is bitter
- picanthot (spicy)The entry is the spicy again; I don't eat hot pepper
- plefull (fed)Full — of food and of the box alike; I don't want more, I'm full
- provarto taste (try)You have seen el provador and emprovar: the fitting room and the trying-on come from this verb. Provar is also tasting food: one word for shop and kitchen
- el menúset menuWith 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 — you saw it in the letters unit
- el cambrerwaiterFrom la cambra, the room: the one who walks the rooms. Feminine la cambrera. Its own word, not the Spanish camarero: one letter, but noticeable
- la comandaorderFrom comandar, to command: an order here is a command. Fer la comanda — to place the order. The verb partner is demanar
- demanarto orderAsk for and order; what will you have?
- el platdishThe entry is plat again — the dish of the day is fish with rice
- la racióportionFrom 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 dostable for twoLiterally "table for two": no special little table. The request of the first minute: una taula per a dos, si us plau
- les postresdessertAlways plural — the desserts; what do you have?
- sense carnwithout meatLiterally without meat; I want a dish without it
- la propinatipA familiar word: deixar propina — to leave a tip. Tips here are small: coins and rounding up the bill
- la pastapastaFeminine and usually singular: menge pasta tres cops per setmana. Do not confuse it with la pasta de dents — that paste cleans teeth
- el iogurtyogurtThe yogurt; for breakfast I have it with honey
- la natacream (dairy)The cream; I put it on the strawberry pie
- el gelatice creamThe iced — the ice cream; the children want it after the beach
- la xocolatachocolateThe chocolate; a piece with coffee — perfect
- la galetacookieThe cookie; she baked some for the children
- la vedellabeefThe meat of the calf; I buy it for the Sunday lunch
- el xailambThe lamb; on the grill it is a festive dish
- les gambesprawnsOnly plural — a whole shoal of them. Feminine: una gamba — one shrimp, but who is counting?
- el raïmgrapesThe grape as a whole; from the market it is very sweet
- el cogombrecucumberThe cucumber; I put it in the salad with the tomato
- la colcabbageThe cabbage; boiled, with potatoes — a winter dish
- l'allgarlicShort and strong like its smell; with olive oil it cannot be missing from the kitchen
- la carbassapumpkinThe big gourd — the pumpkin; in autumn I make its soup
- l'albergíniaeggplantThe apple of delusion — the eggplant; on the grill with oil and salt
- la llimonalemonFeminine. Com una llimona — sour as a lemon: said of faces too. Tea with lemon is te amb llimona
- la síndriawatermelonThe watermelon; in summer it refreshes
- la maduixastrawberryThe strawberry; with cream, for dessert
- la perapearFeminine 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 préssecpeachWith the stress on the é: prés-sec. Do not mix it up with el pèsol — the pea: the stress divides them
- la recepta del platrecipe (of a dish)The recipe of the dish; I found it on a website
- pelar les verduresto peel the vegetablesPeeled the vegetables; first do it and cut them
- posar a bullirto bring to a boilPut to boil; bring the water with salt to a boil
- remenarto stirRe-mix; stir the soup with a wooden spoon
- posar salto saltLiterally "to put salt": the same sal from the basics. The standing advice: prova-ho abans de posar sal — taste before salting
- escalfarto reheatWarm up; reheat the soup in the microwave
- refredarto cool downA 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 ousto beat the eggsBatre — to beat: eggs are "beaten" here, as everywhere. Whisked with a fork or a mixer: amb una forquilla o amb la batedora
- afegir aiguato add waterAdd water; a little at a time and stir
- fer a la brasato grillMake embers; in summer we grill vegetables
- la data de caducitatexpiration dateThe date of expiry; always look at it on the yogurt
- s'ha espatllatit has gone offIt has un-fixed itself — gone bad; the meat has, I can't eat it
- el potjarThe jar; buy one of honey at the market
- el paquetpack (of food)The entry is the pack — the food kind; a pack of cookies costs two euros
- l'extraextra chargeThe extra; cream with the ice cream is a surcharge
- per emportartakeawayLiterally for carrying away: from emportar-se, to take along with you. The question at the till: per menjar ací o per emportar? — to eat here or to take away?
- sense sucrewithout sugarLiterally without sugar; I want tea without it, please
- sóc vegetariàI'm a vegetarianFor a woman: sóc vegetariana — gender sits in the ending. The explanation is simple: no menge carn, I do not eat meat. And I eat here is menge: the Valencian giveaway; the central norm says menjo
- tinc al·lèrgia als fruits secsI'm allergic to nutsLiterally allergy to the dry fruits — nuts; careful, I have it
- bon profitenjoy your mealLiterally good profit — the bon appétit; lunch is on the table
- repartir el compteto split the billDistribute the bill; at the restaurant we split it among all
- la dietadietThe diet; the Mediterranean one is rich in oil and vegetables
- el menjar grefatty foodThe greasy food; after the holidays — a month without it
- posar la taulato set the tablePut the table; before the guests come you must
- el sopar de festafestive supperThe supper of the feast; at Christmas it lasts till midnight
- la llaminaduracandyThe sweet — the candy; the children choose one from the jar
- oferirto treat (offer)Offer; I want to treat you to a glass of homemade wine
- el plat típicnational dishThe typical dish; every region has its own and defends it with pride
- el menjar de carrerstreet foodLiterally food of the street; at the big city feast it all smells at once
- immadurunripeLiterally not-ripe: the prefix im- works like English un-
- podritrottenWhat fruit becomes when it waits too long. From podrir, to rot
- salatsaltyAbout taste only. Do not mix with salat, the Valencian coastal dish of potatoes
- sense salblandLiterally without salt — what food tastes like before it is seasoned
- picantspicyFrom picar, to sting — the kind of heat that bites
- greixósfattyFrom greix, fat or grease. The entry is the adjective greixós
- magreleanAbout meat: lean. About a person: thin. Magre i alt — thin and tall
- el porcporkThe animal is the same word: el porc — the pig
- el pollastrechicken (meat)The bird and the meat share the word, as in English. Roast chicken is pollastre al forn
- l'ànecduck (meat)The bird and the dish. The accent marks the stress: À-nec
- la carn picadaminced meatLiterally chopped meat: picada from picar, to chop
- el pernilhamThe salted leg — pernil salat is the local answer to the Spanish jamón
- la salsitxasausageFrom salsa — a sausage has its own seasoning. The small white one is a botifarra's cousin
- la tonyinatunaA Mediterranean staple, often in oil: tonyina en oli
- el salmósalmonMasculine, stress at the end: sal-MOH. El salmó fumat — smoked: on toast and at holidays
- la gambashrimpThe sea's small gift; gambes al salt — shrimp tossed in the pan
- el mariscseafoodLiterally the sea's shells — the whole shelf of shellfish in one word
- la prunaplumThe tree is the pruner. Dried, it becomes a prune — a raisin's plum cousin
- el gerdraspberryA soft word for the soft fruit; gerd x is gredos in the plural
- el melómelonSummer in one word; meló de vapour — the round winter melon
- la magranapomegranate (fruit)Literally the seeded apple: magrana hides the Latin granatum. The suffix -ana tells fruit from the stone
- la pinyapineappleLiterally a pinecone — the same image English once used
- la mandarinamandarinThe small winter orange; a Valencia winter classic in the fruit bowl
- el kiwikiwi (fruit)A loanword, pronounced as spelled: KI-wi
- l'alvocatavocadoThe article shrinks before the vowel: l'alvocat. Ripe means tou — soft to the touch
- les pansesraisinsAlways plural — dried grapes come in bunches. Pa amb panses i pinyons is an old fasting bread
- la figafigThe fig tree is the figuera; August figs are the sweetest
- el pebrotpepper (vegetable)The vegetable pepper; the hot spice is the pebre. The -ot ending is a Valencian diminutive
- el carbassózucchiniA diminutive of carbassa, the big pumpkin — so a zucchini is a little pumpkin
- la remolatxabeetrootThe sweet root of the vegetable garden; remolatxa amb allioli is a village dish
- el raveradishSame word as Spanish and French use; the small red kind is rave rodó
- les herbesfresh herbsAlways plural — the bunch you chop into a soup. Herbes de la terra are the local mix
- l'anetdillThe herb that goes with fish; the article shrinks: l'anet
- el julivertparsleyThe everyday green of every sauce: un rajolí de julivert — a pinch of parsley
- el gingebregingerA loanword with a soft g before i: jin-JEB-reh
- el blat de morocornLiterally Moorish wheat — the grain that came across the sea
- els espinacsspinachAlways plural, as the English once said spinaches
- l'engrossabread rollThe morning roll; the article shrinks to l'. Valencian shape — the central norm says l'engrossa too, the roll is the same
- la cocapieThe flat sweet of every festivity — coca de llardons, coca de sant Joan. Not to be mixed with the drink
- el pastissetpastryA little cake; the -et is a diminutive. Pastissets de moniato — sweet-potato pastries
- el bunyoldoughnutThe fair treat, fried in front of you — bunyols de vent at the Falles
- la rebosteriabaked goodsThe sweet shop's whole output in one word; reboster is the pastry cook
- la melmeladajamA doubled word, doubled sweetness: mel is honey, so melmelada is honey-ish spread
- el xaropsyrupThe sherbet relative — sugar and fruit cooked down
- les crispetespopcornAlways plural — each little crackle counts. Cinema snack number one
- les patatinespotato chipsLittle potatoes, always plural; a bag for the party
- la xicrachewing gumThe local word; children chew it at the park gate
- la limonadalemonadeA look-alike across Europe; summer in a glass
- l'aigua mineralmineral waterBottled, from a spring. Ask for sense gas — still — or amb gas
- l'aigua amb gassparkling waterLiterally water with gas — the fizz spelled out
- el còctelcocktailThe accent marks the stress: còctel. Evening terraces are built on them
- el cacaucocoaThe drink and the powder; Valencian children are raised on cacau amb llet
- la bossa de tétea bagLiterally a bag of tea: la bossa is the bag you carry shopping in too
- l'aigua bullentboiling waterFrom bullir, to boil — water straight off the flame
- l'alcoholalcoholThe substance and the drink's strength; sense alcohol is alcohol-free
- la begudabeverageAny drink in the abstract: begudes fresques — cold drinks
- esmorzarto have breakfastThe verb form of the morning meal; esmorzar de forquilla — a fork breakfast, a proper one
- dinarto have lunchThe midday meal is the main one here — la hora de dinar is sacred
- soparto have supperThe evening meal, late by northern standards: around nine or ten
- l'aperitiua snackThe pre-meal ritual: olives, almonds, a small drink. Abbreviated to l'aperitiu
- la famhungerHunger is had, not felt: tinc fam — I have hunger
- la setthirstThe same had-not-felt pattern: tinc set
- l'hora de dinarlunch breakLiterally the hour of lunch — the fixed midday pause, roughly two to three
- tinc famI'm hungryLiterally I have hunger: the body's states are things you have
- tinc setI'm thirstyLiterally I have thirst — the same tener pattern as Spanish
- ja n'he tingut prouI'm fullLiterally I have already had enough of it — the n' is the swallowed pronoun for of it
- el congeladorfreezerThe entry is the freezer compartment; peas and pizza live in it
- la cafeteracoffee makerThe coffee machine; it smells of fresh coffee at seven
- el recipient hermèticcontainerLiterally the hermetic recipient; I keep soup in it
- el bolmixing bowlThe bowl — an English word in the kitchen; I beat eggs in the big one
- el platetsaucerThe little plate; put the glass on it, please
- la tassamugThe entry is the cup again — now the mug; my favorite is blue and old
- la copawine glassThe stemmed glass; two for the cava are missing from the table
- l'esponjaspongeThe sponge; in the kitchen it is always wet
- la pinça de robaclothespinLiterally the clothes grip; it also closes the cookie bag
- posar la tetera al focto put the kettle onLiterally to put the kettle on the fire; ten minutes and we have tea
- els fideusnoodlesfee-DEH-oos — thin pasta strands, they cook in three minutes. La fideuà — a paella with noodles, the pride of the coast
- la mantegabuttermoo-NTUH-guh — made of milk, melts on warm bread. Margarine is la margarina; mantega is the honest butter
- l'oli de gira-solsunflower oilLiterally oil of turn-to-the-sun; for frying it smells less
- la massadoughThe dough; the pizza's rests an hour
- les farinetesporridgeAlways plural; in winter we have it with honey for breakfast
- els flocsflakesThe flakes — of oats; put them in the hot milk
- les llentieslentilsAlways plural; they need a lot of water and patience
- el cigróchickpeasThe chickpea; soak it overnight — the base of the local stew
- l'ametllaalmondThe almond; the Christmas nougat is full of it
- el cacauetpeanutThe little cocoa-sounding nut; salted ones with the beer
- l'espèciaspiceThe single spice; buy them by weight, it comes out cheaper
- el condimentseasoningThe seasoning; this one has herbs from the garden
- el vinagrevinegarThe vinegar; a couple of drops wakes the salad up
- la salsasauceThe sauce; it cooks on a slow flame for an hour
- el ketchupketchupThe ketchup; the child asks for it even with pasta
- la maionesamayonnaiseThe mayonnaise; homemade has oil, egg and a little lemon
- la mostassamustardThe mustard; a little of it accompanies the sausage
- la canyellacinnamonThe cinnamon; the crema catalana is nothing without it
- el pebre negreblack pepperLiterally the black spice; grind it right before serving
- el broubrothThe broth; grandma boils chicken broth when somebody has a cold
- la gerrajugZHEH-rruh — with a handle and a spout. Una gerra d'aigua fresca stands at the center of every summer table
- el termothermosThe thermos; in the forest it still keeps the coffee hot
- el sucretersugar bowlThe sugar bowl; fill the empty one in the morning
- els cobertscutleryAlways plural — the covers of the table; set them, six are coming to supper
- la culleretateaspoonThe little spoon; stir the coffee with it
- el cullerótablespoonThe big spoon; add one of oil to the paella
- la canyetadrinking strawThe little cane; the child drinks orange juice through it
- la graellagrillThe grill; fish on it needs little oil
- l'aperitiuappetizerThe entry is the aperitif again — now the food; olives before lunch
- la guarnicióside dishThe garnish; the fish comes with potatoes and pepper
- fritfriedFried; eggs with potatoes make a quick lunch
- bullitboiledBoiled; a hard-boiled egg takes ten minutes
- assecatdriedDried; sun-dried tomatoes are sweet and salty at once
- congelatfrozenIt sleeps in the freezer until needed. Pèsols congelats — the rescue of every cook
- a puntready (of a dish)At the point — done; lunch is ready, wash your hands
- naturalunprocessedNatural; we prefer juice without added sugar
- carregatstrong (of tea)Loaded — of tea; the strong mountain tea wakes everyone
- casolàhomemadeOf the house — homemade; grandma's cooking is beyond comparison
- la pellpeel (zest)The entry is the skin — now the peel; add a little grated lemon zest
- el pinyolpit (of fruit)The pit; the children spit the watermelon pips onto the plate
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.
- Un cafè, si us plauOne coffee, please
- Un te amb llimona, si us plauTea with lemon, please
- Em poseu un got d'aigua?Could I have a glass of water?
- Compro pa cada matíI buy bread every morning
- Aquest formatge és molt boThis cheese is very good
- No menjo carn, sóc vegetarianaI don't eat meat, I'm a vegetarian
What is worth knowing about these words
el cafè — coffee. Both the drink and the place. The article el tells you the gender — nouns are learned with it, like la taronja
el te — tea. El te with an accent is tea; te without one is to you. The pair works just like sí and si
l'aigua — water. A feminine word that takes the el-article squeezed into l': l'aigua. The apostrophe is not decoration, it is required spelling
el pa — bread. The bakery is the fleca, a word Spanish has nothing like. Pa amb tomaca — bread with tomato — is the country's signature snack
Test yourself
Recalling a spelling from meaning is harder than recognizing a familiar word — and therefore more useful.
- How do you say “coffee” in Valencian?
Both the drink and the place. The article el tells you the gender — nouns are learned with it, like la taronja
- How do you say “fruit” in Valencian?
A collective, so it stays singular: m'agrada la fruita — I like fruit. One piece is una fruita
- How do you say “tasty” in Valencian?
Full forms: bo about a man or a thing, bona about a woman or a feminine noun. Food is judged through estar: està bo — good right now
- How do you say “to chew” in Valencian?
Chew well — the grandmother's word at the table
- How do you say “flour” in Valencian?
The flour; bread is made of it, water and salt
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 timesAdesope, 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.
- This holds not only in experiments but in ordinary classrooms, with real students.checked many timesMawson & 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 Valencian?
«el cafè». Both the drink and the place. The article el tells you the gender — nouns are learned with it, like la taronja. 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?
A dozen is enough. The set of 241 words on this page covers nearly every everyday case on the topic — but it is best taken a few at a time, not all at once.