Inklingo

How to Say "scraps" in Spanish

English → Spanish

restos

RESS-tohs/ˈres.tos/

nounA2general
Use 'restos' specifically when referring to leftover food that you plan to save or eat later.
A white ceramic dinner plate sitting on a table, holding a few small scraps of uneaten food, like crumbs and a few vegetable pieces.

Examples

Por favor, guarda los restos de la pizza para mañana.

Please save the pizza leftovers for tomorrow.

Tuvimos que limpiar los restos de la tormenta en el jardín.

We had to clean up the remains of the storm in the garden.

Always Plural

When talking about physical scraps or food, 'restos' is almost always used in the plural form, even though its base word ('resto') is singular.

Confusing 'Resto' and 'Restos'

Mistake: “Me comí el resto.”

Correction: Me comí los restos. ('El resto' means 'the rest of the group/amount,' while 'los restos' means 'the physical pieces/scraps.')

fragmentos

/frahg-MEN-tohs//fɾaɣˈmentos/

nounA2general
Choose 'fragmentos' when you mean small, broken pieces of a solid object, like glass or pottery.
A collection of small colorful ceramic pieces scattered on a plain surface.

Examples

Había fragmentos de vidrio por todo el suelo.

There were fragments of glass all over the floor.

Los arqueólogos encontraron fragmentos de cerámica antigua.

The archaeologists found fragments of ancient pottery.

Plural Naming Words

This is the plural form of 'fragmento'. Because it ends in 'os', it tells us there is more than one and that the word is masculine.

Gender Agreement

Mistake: “las fragmentos”

Correction: los fragmentos

desperdicio

/des-pair-DEE-syoh//despeɾˈdisjo/

nounB1general
Use 'desperdicio' when referring to the act of wasting food or material, or the resulting waste itself.
A half-eaten apple and a full sandwich sitting inside a trash can.

Examples

Tirar comida es un gran desperdicio.

Throwing away food is a huge waste.

Recogieron los desperdicios de la construcción.

They picked up the construction debris.

Always Masculine

Even if you are talking about 'waste' in a general sense, the word is always masculine: 'el desperdicio'.

Desperdicio vs. Basura

Mistake: “Using 'desperdicio' for the bag of trash you put on the curb.”

Correction: Use 'basura' for general trash. Use 'desperdicio' specifically when talking about things that *could* have been used but weren't, or specific scraps like food bits.

Food Leftovers vs. Waste

The most common confusion is between 'restos' and 'desperdicio'. Remember that 'restos' refers specifically to edible food left over, often for later consumption. 'Desperdicio' refers to the act or result of waste, typically when food is thrown away and not intended for later use.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.