Inklingo

How to Say "ingredients" in Spanish

English → Spanish

ingredientes

/een-gre-dee-en-tess//iŋɡreˈðjentes/

nounA1general
Use 'ingredientes' when referring to the food items needed to prepare a dish or recipe, or metaphorically for the key components of a situation.
A collection of fresh food items like flour, eggs, and tomatoes on a wooden table.

Examples

Necesito comprar leche, huevos y harina para hacer el pastel, son los ingredientes principales.

I need to buy milk, eggs, and flour to make the cake; they are the main ingredients.

Tengo que comprar todos los ingredientes para el pastel.

I have to buy all the ingredients for the cake.

¿Cuáles son los ingredientes principales de la paella?

What are the main ingredients of paella?

Mezcla los ingredientes secos en un tazón grande.

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Always Masculine

Even though it ends in 'es', this word is masculine. Use 'los' or 'unos' when talking about them.

Making it Plural

This is the plural form of 'ingrediente'. Since the singular ends in 'e', you just add 's' to talk about more than one.

Figurative Use

Just like in English, you can use 'ingredients' to talk about things that aren't food, like the parts of a successful plan.

Gender Error

Mistake: “las ingredientes”

Correction: los ingredientes (it is a masculine word).

elementos

eh-leh-MEN-tohs/e.leˈmen.tos/

nounA1general
Use 'elementos' for the basic components or factors in a more general or scientific context, like in chemistry or when discussing abstract concepts.
A collection of primary colored basic geometric shapes, specifically a red cube, a blue sphere, and a yellow cylinder, floating near each other.

Examples

El agua está compuesta por dos elementos: hidrógeno y oxígeno.

Water is composed of two elements: hydrogen and oxygen.

Necesitas tres elementos básicos para hacer esta receta.

You need three basic elements to make this recipe.

El profesor explicó los elementos clave de la teoría.

The professor explained the key elements of the theory.

Los elementos de la batería están desgastados.

The components of the battery are worn out.

Always Plural

Since 'elementos' ends in '-os', it is always used to talk about more than one thing. The singular form is 'elemento'.

Gender Confusion

Mistake: “La elementos son importantes.”

Correction: Los elementos son importantes. Remember 'elementos' is masculine, so use 'los' or 'unos'.

Food vs. Abstract Components

The most common mistake is using 'elementos' when referring to food items for a recipe. Always use 'ingredientes' for cooking. 'Elementos' is for more abstract or scientific components, not for your grocery list.

Related Translations

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