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vainilla

bye-NEE-yah/baiˈniʝa/

vanilla

Also: vanilla bean
NounfA1
A couple of dried vanilla beans and a small yellow vanilla orchid bloom on a clean background.

📝 In Action

Me gustaría un helado de vainilla, por favor.

A1

I would like a vanilla ice cream, please.

Esta vela tiene un olor a vainilla muy dulce.

A2

This candle has a very sweet vanilla scent.

Añade unas gotas de esencia de vainilla a la masa.

B1

Add a few drops of vanilla extract to the dough.

Word Connections

Antonyms

  • chocolate (chocolate (often considered the opposite flavor preference))

Common Collocations

  • helado de vainilla – vanilla ice cream
  • esencia de vainilla – vanilla extract/essence
  • vainilla en rama – vanilla pod/bean

vanilla / plain

AdjectivefB2informal
A single scoop of plain white vanilla ice cream in a simple glass bowl.

📝 In Action

Ese coche es muy vainilla; no tiene nada de especial.

B2

That car is very vanilla; it doesn't have anything special about it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "vainilla" in Spanish:

vanilla→vanilla bean→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: vainilla

Question 1 of 3

How do you correctly say 'vanilla extract' in Spanish?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
vainillina(vanillin) — Noun
vaina(pod / sheath) — Noun
envainar(to sheathe) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

The word is a 'little' version of the Spanish word 'vaina' (meaning pod or sheath). It was named this by Spanish explorers because the vanilla bean looks like a tiny sword sheath.

First recorded: 17th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: vanillaFrench: vanilleItalian: vainiglia

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'vainilla' masculine or feminine?

It is always feminine: 'la vainilla'.

How do I pronounce the 'll' in 'vainilla'?

In most places, it sounds like the 'y' in 'yes'. In some parts of Argentina and Uruguay, it can sound like 'sh'.

Can I use 'vainilla' to describe a person?

Yes, but it's informal. If you call someone 'vainilla', you are saying they are a bit plain or conventional, though 'normal' is more common in Spanish.