Inklingo

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'.

English → Spanish

contracción

nounA1general
Use 'contracción' when referring to the shortening of words or phrases in language, like combining 'a' and 'el' into 'al'.

Examples

En español, 'al' es una contracción de 'a' y 'el'.

In Spanish, 'al' is a contraction of 'a' and 'el'.

manteca

man-TEH-kahmanˈteka

nounA2culinary
Use 'manteca' when referring to solid fat, such as lard or vegetable shortening, used as an ingredient in baking.
A white ceramic bowl filled with smooth, white rendered lard next to a wooden spoon.

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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