How to Say "shortening" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “shortening” is “contracción” — use 'contracción' when referring to the shortening of words or phrases in language, like combining 'a' and 'el' into 'al'.
contracción
Examples
En español, 'al' es una contracción de 'a' y 'el'.
In Spanish, 'al' is a contraction of 'a' and 'el'.
man-TEH-kahmanˈteka
Examples
Para hacer tamales tradicionales, necesitas manteca de cerdo.
To make traditional tamales, you need pork lard.
La receta pide media taza de manteca vegetal.
The recipe calls for half a cup of vegetable shortening.
Lávate las manos, que tienes manteca.
Wash your hands, they are greasy (covered in fat).
Using 'La' with Manteca
Since this word ends in 'a' and is feminine, you should always use feminine words with it, like 'la manteca' or 'manteca fría'.
Don't confuse with 'mantequilla'
Mistake: “Using 'manteca' to mean butter in Spain or Mexico.”
Correction: In Spain and Mexico, butter is 'mantequilla'. Use 'manteca' only if you mean lard or shortening.
Linguistic vs. Culinary Shortening
The most common mistake is using 'contracción' for baking ingredients or 'manteca' for linguistic abbreviations. Remember that 'contracción' relates to words, while 'manteca' is a type of fat.
Related Translations
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