dorado
/doh-RAH-doh/
golden
Dorado, meaning 'golden,' is used to describe colors or objects resembling gold.
📝 In Action
El sol de la mañana tiene un tono dorado precioso.
A1The morning sun has a beautiful golden tone.
Para la cena, queremos un pollo bien dorado y crujiente.
A2For dinner, we want a chicken that is well browned and crispy.
La medalla que ganó era de metal dorado.
A1The medal he won was made of gold-colored metal.
💡 Grammar Points
Matching the Noun
As an adjective, 'dorado' must match the thing it describes in both number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine). For example, 'los anillos dorados' (the golden rings) or 'las papas doradas' (the browned potatoes).
⭐ Usage Tips
Cooking Shortcut
When talking about food, 'dorado' simply means cooked until it has a nice, golden-brown crust. It comes from the verb 'dorar' (to brown/to gild).
In some parts of the Americas, 'dorado' refers to the popular game fish, the mahi-mahi.
dorado(noun)
mahi-mahi
?fish (Americas)
,dolphinfish
?fish (Americas)
gilthead bream
?fish (Spain - usually 'dorada' f.)
📝 In Action
El dorado es un pez grande y muy popular para pescar en aguas tropicales.
B2The mahi-mahi is a large and very popular fish for fishing in tropical waters.
Pedimos un ceviche de dorado fresco.
B2We ordered a fresh mahi-mahi ceviche.
⭐ Usage Tips
Watch the Gender
In Spain, the fish often sold as 'dorada' (feminine) is the gilthead bream. In Latin America, 'el dorado' (masculine) refers to the mahi-mahi.
When used as a noun, 'dorado' can mean 'gilding,' the application of gold decoration.
📝 In Action
El restaurador trabajó para preservar el dorado del marco del cuadro.
C1The restorer worked to preserve the gilding of the painting's frame.
⭐ Usage Tips
Hidden Gold
This meaning refers specifically to the thin layer of gold applied to an object, not the solid gold itself. Think of it as 'the gold surface effect'.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: dorado
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'dorado' as a noun referring to a type of fish?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'dorado' and 'oro'?
'Oro' is the precious metal itself (gold). 'Dorado' is the color (golden) or the state of having a gold-like appearance (gold-plated, browned). You can say 'El anillo es de oro' (The ring is made of gold) or 'El anillo es dorado' (The ring is gold-colored).
Does 'dorado' always mean the color gold?
Not always! When talking about cooking, 'dorado' means 'browned' or 'toasted'—the perfect color you want on fries or chicken. It describes the finished condition of the food after heat has been applied.