Inklingo

How to Say "cutlery" in Spanish

English → Spanish

cubierto

koo-BYEHR-toh/kuˈβjeɾto/

nounA1general
Use 'cubierto' when referring to a complete set of eating utensils (fork, knife, and spoon) provided at a place setting, or a single utensil.
A set of clean, silver eating utensils: a spoon, a fork, and a knife, lying neatly side by side.

Examples

Por favor, ¿me trae un cubierto limpio?

Please, could you bring me a clean set of cutlery?

Necesitamos poner cuatro cubiertos más en la mesa.

We need to put four more place settings on the table.

Singular vs. Collective

While 'cubiertos' (plural) means 'utensils,' the singular 'un cubierto' often refers to the entire set (fork, knife, spoon) needed for one person, similar to saying 'a place setting' in English.

cuchillos

koo-CHEE-yos/kuˈtʃiʎos/

nounA1general
Use 'cuchillos' specifically when you are talking about knives as part of a meal's utensils, especially if you need multiple knives.
A high-quality illustration showing three distinct kitchen knives resting side-by-side on a wooden cutting board.

Examples

Necesitamos más cuchillos en la mesa para los invitados.

We need more knives on the table for the guests.

Los cuchillos de la cocina son muy afilados, ten cuidado.

The kitchen knives are very sharp, be careful.

Puso los cuchillos, tenedores y cucharas en el cajón.

He put the knives, forks, and spoons in the drawer.

Masculine Plural

Since 'cuchillo' is a masculine word, its plural form 'cuchillos' must always be used with masculine plural words like 'los' (the) or 'unos' (some).

Gender Mismatch

Mistake: “Las cuchillos”

Correction: Los cuchillos. Since the base word 'cuchillo' ends in -o, it is masculine, so you must use 'los' for the plural.

Cubierto vs. Cuchillos

Learners often use 'cuchillos' when they mean the entire set of cutlery. Remember that 'cubierto' refers to the whole place setting (fork, knife, spoon), while 'cuchillos' specifically means 'knives'.

Related Translations

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