A simple wooden bowl overflowing with fresh, mixed raw vegetables, including chopped lettuce, sliced red tomatoes, and cucumber chunks.

ensalada

en-sah-LAH-dah

nounfA1

salad?a dish of mixed raw vegetables

Also:tossed salad?general term for mixed greens

📝 In Action

Para el almuerzo, pedí una ensalada de tomate y aguacate.

For lunch, I ordered a tomato and avocado salad.

¿Quieres ponerle aceite y vinagre a tu ensalada?

Do you want to put oil and vinegar on your salad?

La ensalada mixta viene con lechuga, zanahoria y maíz.

The mixed salad comes with lettuce, carrot, and corn.

Word Connections

Synonyms

mezcla (mixture)

Common Collocations

ensalada mixta – mixed salad
aliñar la ensalada – to dress the salad
ensalada de frutas – fruit salad

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Noun Rule

Even though 'ensalada' ends in '-a', remember that it is always a feminine noun, so you must use feminine words like 'la' (the) and 'una' (a/an) before it.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the wrong article

Mistake: "El ensalada es fresca."

Correction: La ensalada es fresca. (Remember to use 'la' because 'ensalada' is feminine.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Talking about ingredients

To specify the type of salad, use 'de' (of) followed by the main ingredient, like 'ensalada de pollo' (chicken salad) or 'ensalada de papa' (potato salad).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: ensalada

Question 1 of 1

Which phrase correctly asks for a mixed salad?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

sal(salt) - noun

salado(salty) - adjective

ensaladera(salad bowl) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'ensalada' ever used to mean something other than food?

Yes, but it's less common. Sometimes in informal speech, 'ensalada' can mean a big mess or a chaotic jumble of things, similar to saying 'a mixed bag' or 'a salad of problems.'

How do I order a dressing on the side?

You can say: 'El aderezo aparte, por favor.' ('The dressing on the side, please.') The word for dressing is usually 'aderezo' or 'aliño'.