Inklingo
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pescado

/pes-KAH-doh/

fish

A golden-brown, cooked fish fillet resting on a plain white plate, ready to be eaten.

As a noun, pescado means fish prepared as food or seafood.

pescado(noun)

mA1

fish

?

food/seafood

Also:

catch

?

result of fishing

📝 In Action

Pedimos pescado frito con limón y ensalada.

A1

We ordered fried fish with lemon and salad.

¿Prefieres carne o pescado para cenar?

A1

Do you prefer meat or fish for dinner?

El pescado fresco de hoy está delicioso.

A2

Today's fresh catch is delicious.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • marisco (seafood)
  • pez (live fish)

Common Collocations

  • pescado blanco – white fish
  • pescado azul – oily/dark fish

💡 Grammar Points

Pescado vs. Pez

Use 'pez' when the animal is alive and swimming in the water. Use 'pescado' when the animal has been caught and is ready to be eaten (fish as food).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing the two words

Mistake: "Quiero comer un pez."

Correction: Quiero comer pescado. (Unless you want to eat a live fish!)

⭐ Usage Tips

At the market

When asking for fish at a restaurant or market, always use 'pescado'.

A close-up illustration of a fishing line pulled taut, with a small, silver fish caught on the hook and dangling above the water, indicating the action is complete.

As a past participle, pescado means 'fished' or 'caught'.

pescado(past participle)

B1

fished

?

past tense of 'to fish'

,

caught

?

resulting state

📝 In Action

Hemos pescado muchos salmones esta mañana.

B1

We have fished (caught) many salmon this morning.

El tesoro fue pescado del fondo del mar.

B2

The treasure was fished (brought up) from the bottom of the sea.

La red estaba llena de peces pescados.

B2

The net was full of caught fish.

💡 Grammar Points

Spelling Change in the Preterite

In the past tense (preterite) 'yo' form, verbs ending in -car (like 'pescar') change 'c' to 'qu' before the 'é' ending. This keeps the hard 'k' sound: 'Yo pesqué' (I fished).

Forming Perfect Tenses

To say 'I have fished,' you use the verb 'haber' (to have) plus 'pescado': 'He pescado'. This form never changes its ending, regardless of who is doing the action.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Incorrect Preterite Spelling

Mistake: "Yo pescó ayer."

Correction: Yo pesqué ayer. (Remember to add the 'u' after the 'c' in the 'yo' form of -car verbs in the past tense.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Using as an Adjective

When used as a descriptive word (adjective), 'pescado' must agree in number and gender with the noun it describes: 'pez pescado' (masc. sing.) or 'peces pescados' (masc. plural).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pescado

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'pescado' as food?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pescar(to fish, to catch) - verb
pescador(fisherman) - noun
pesca(fishing (the activity)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'pez' and 'pescado'?

'Pez' is the living animal swimming in the water (like a goldfish or a shark). 'Pescado' is the fish that has been caught, killed, and prepared for eating (the food item).

Does 'pescado' ever change its ending?

Yes, when it is used as an adjective (a descriptive word), it changes to agree with the thing it describes: 'pescada' (feminine singular), 'pescados' (masculine plural), 'pescadas' (feminine plural). However, when it is used to form perfect tenses with 'haber' (like 'He pescado'), it always stays 'pescado'.