Inklingo
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pan

/pahn/

bread

A golden-brown, rustic loaf of bread sitting on a light wooden cutting board.

In its most literal sense, pan means bread, a universal food staple.

pan(noun)

mA1

bread

?

food staple

Also:

loaf

?

as in, a loaf of bread (often barra de pan)

,

roll

?

small, individual piece of bread

📝 In Action

¿Podemos comprar un poco de pan fresco para la cena?

A1

Can we buy some fresh bread for dinner?

Me encanta el pan tostado con mantequilla.

A1

I love toast with butter.

En la panadería venden muchos tipos de panes diferentes.

A2

They sell many different types of bread at the bakery.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • hogaza (large loaf)

Common Collocations

  • barra de pan – baguette/loaf of bread
  • pan integral – whole wheat bread
  • panadería – bakery (place where bread is made/sold)

💡 Grammar Points

Gender Rule

Even though it ends in 'n,' 'pan' is always masculine, so you use 'el pan' or 'un pan'.

Uncountable Noun

Like 'bread' in English, 'pan' is often uncountable. To ask for a specific piece, you often say 'una rebanada de pan' (a slice) or 'una barra de pan' (a loaf).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Mixing Loaf vs. Bread

Mistake: "Dame un pan para el sándwich. (While understood, this is vague.)"

Correction: Dame una rebanada de pan (a slice) o una barra de pan (a loaf). 'Un pan' usually refers to a small roll.

⭐ Usage Tips

Asking for Rolls

If you want several individual small bread rolls (like dinner rolls), you can use the plural: 'Quiero tres panes, por favor.'

A simple woven wicker basket filled generously and overflowing with fresh harvest items like apples, carrots, and a small loaf of bread, symbolizing sustenance.

Pan can also metaphorically refer to one's livelihood or means of survival.

pan(noun)

mB2

livelihood

?

means of survival

Also:

sustenance

?

basic food/necessities

,

living

?

as in, earning one's living

📝 In Action

Trabaja duro para ganarse el pan de cada día.

B2

He works hard to earn his daily bread (to earn a living).

No pudieron quitarle el pan de la boca a la familia.

C1

They couldn't take the food out of the family's mouth (take away their means of survival).

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • sustento (sustenance)
  • ingreso (income)

Idioms & Expressions

  • Ganarse el pan – To earn a living; to work for money to survive.
  • Al pan, pan, y al vino, vino – To speak clearly and plainly; to call a spade a spade.

💡 Grammar Points

Idiomatic Use

In these figurative uses, 'pan' acts as a stand-in for all the necessary things you need to survive, similar to how 'breadwinner' is used in English.

⭐ Usage Tips

Use with Reflexive Verbs

The idiom 'ganarse el pan' uses the reflexive 'ganarse' (to earn for oneself), emphasizing the effort required to secure your basic needs.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pan

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'pan' to mean basic income or livelihood, rather than the food itself?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

panadería(bakery) - noun
panadero(baker) - noun
empanar(to coat in breadcrumbs) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'pan' masculine (el pan) when many common foods are feminine (la fruta, la leche)?

The gender of 'pan' comes directly from its Latin root, *panis*, which was a masculine word. In Spanish, many basic nouns inherited the gender of their Latin ancestors, regardless of how other food words evolved.

If I want to talk about different types of bread (e.g., rye, sourdough), what is the correct plural?

The correct plural is 'los panes.' You would say 'Me gustan todos los panes de esta tienda' (I like all the breads/types of bread from this store).