coca
“coca” means “Coke” in Spanish. It has 4 different meanings depending on context:
Coke
Also: cola
📝 In Action
¿Quieres una hamburguesa y una coca bien fría?
A1Do you want a hamburger and a cold Coke?
Pedimos dos aguas y una coca para compartir.
A2We ordered two waters and one Coke to share.
coca leaf
Also: coca plant
📝 In Action
En los Andes, la hoja de coca se masca para combatir el mal de altura.
B1In the Andes, the coca leaf is chewed to fight altitude sickness.
La coca ha sido cultivada por siglos por las culturas indígenas.
B2Coca has been cultivated for centuries by indigenous cultures.
coca (flat pastry)
Also: flat cake
📝 In Action
Para la fiesta de San Juan compramos una coca de crema y piñones.
B2For the Saint John's festival, we bought a coca pastry with cream and pine nuts.
La coca puede ser dulce o salada, como una pizza sin tomate.
C1The coca can be sweet or savory, like a pizza without tomato.
coke
Also: cocaine
📝 In Action
La policía incautó un gran cargamento de coca en el puerto.
C1The police seized a large shipment of coke at the port.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: coca
Question 1 of 2
Which meaning of 'coca' is most likely being used in the sentence: '¿Nos tomamos una coca mientras esperamos la cena?'
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
The botanical term 'coca' comes directly from Quechua *kúka*. The soft drink name is an abbreviation of the brand name Coca-Cola. The Catalan pastry 'coca' comes from the Dutch word *kook* (cake), introduced centuries ago.
First recorded: Pre-Columbian era (Andean leaf); 19th century (brand name); Medieval era (pastry).
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'coca' have so many different meanings?
There are actually two different words that sound the same: one comes from the indigenous Quechua language (the leaf/drug) and the other comes from a European word for 'cake' (the pastry). The soft drink meaning is simply a very common abbreviation of the brand name Coca-Cola.
Is 'coca' always feminine (la coca)?
Yes, in all common meanings (soft drink, leaf, pastry, slang), 'coca' is a feminine noun, so you must use 'la' or 'una' before it.