How to Say "seasoning" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “seasoning” is “especia” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
La canela es mi especia favorita para el café.
Cinnamon is my favorite spice for coffee.
Tienes que comprar más especias en el mercado.
You have to buy more spices at the market.
Esta receta utiliza una mezcla de especias muy exóticas.
This recipe uses a mix of very exotic spices.
Feminine Noun
This word is feminine, so you always use 'la' or 'una'. In the plural, it becomes 'las especias'.
Describing Spices
When you want to say food is 'spiced' or 'spicy,' you usually use the related adjective 'especiado' (flavorful with spices) or 'picante' (hot/burning).
Especia vs. Especie
Mistake: “Using 'especie' to mean 'spice'.”
Correction: Use 'especia' for cooking. 'Especie' means 'species' or 'type' (like a species of animal).
Especia vs. Hierba
Mistake: “Calling fresh cilantro an 'especia'.”
Correction: In Spanish, 'especias' usually refers to dried seeds/roots/bark (like pepper or cloves), while 'hierbas' refers to the green leafy parts of plants.
Related Translations
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