How to Say "broth" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “broth” is “caldo” — use 'caldo' when referring to the liquid made by boiling meat or vegetables, especially as a standalone drink or base for other dishes..
caldo
/KAHL-doh//ˈkal.do/
Examples
Si estás enfermo, toma un poco de caldo de pollo.
If you are sick, have some chicken broth.
Para hacer la paella, necesitas un buen caldo de pescado.
To make paella, you need a good fish stock.
El secreto de la sopa es el caldo que preparamos ayer.
The secret to the soup is the broth we prepared yesterday.
It's a masculine noun
Even though many words for food are feminine, 'caldo' is masculine. Always use 'el' or 'un' with it (el caldo, un caldo).
Mass Noun behavior
Just like in English, we usually don't count 'caldo' (one broth, two broths). We use quantities like 'un poco de caldo' (a bit of broth) or 'una taza de caldo' (a cup of broth).
Caldo vs. Sopa
Mistake: “Saying 'caldo' when there are noodles or vegetables inside.”
Correction: Use 'caldo' for just the liquid. If it has solids like pasta, rice, or veggies, call it 'sopa'.
sopa
/SOH-pah//ˈsopa/
Examples
Mi abuela prepara la mejor sopa de verduras del mundo.
My grandmother makes the best vegetable soup in the world.
¿Quieres un plato de sopa caliente para empezar?
Would you like a bowl of hot soup to start?
En verano, me gusta tomar sopa fría como el gazpacho.
In summer, I like to have cold soup like gazpacho.
Gender Rule
Even though 'sopa' ends in 'a', it is always a feminine word and needs the female article 'la' or 'una'.
Caldo vs. Sopa
Learn Spanish with Inklingo
Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.