Inklingo

How to Say "slice" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “slice” is “porción” — use this when referring to a serving of food, especially pizza, cake, or pie.

porciónA1

Use this when referring to a serving of food, especially pizza, cake, or pie.

Learn more →
trozo🔊A1

This is a very common word for a piece or chunk, often used for bread or cake.

Learn more →
filete🔊A1

Use this specifically for a thin cut of meat, like a steak, or sometimes fish.

Learn more →
pedacito🔊A1

Use this for a very small piece or tiny bit of food, often implying a small, delicate portion.

Learn more →
raja🔊A2

This term is typically used for a large wedge or slice of a large fruit like watermelon or melon.

Learn more →
corte🔊B1

This refers to a cut or a wound, not a slice of food, though it can mean a piece cut off something.

Learn more →
segmento🔊B1

Use this in technical contexts like geometry or biology to mean a division or section.

Learn more →
tramo🔊B2

This refers to a section or stretch, often used for parts of a journey, a budget, or a period of time.

Learn more →
parcela🔊C1

This refers to a portion of land or, metaphorically, a part of someone's life, like their privacy.

Learn more →
English → Spanish

porción

nounA1general
Use this when referring to a serving of food, especially pizza, cake, or pie.

Examples

Quiero una porción de pizza de pepperoni.

I want a slice of pepperoni pizza.

trozo

TROH-sohˈtɾoso

nounA1general
This is a very common word for a piece or chunk, often used for bread or cake.
A thick, rustic slice of freshly baked bread resting next to the main loaf from which it was cut.

Examples

Dame un trozo de pan, por favor.

Give me a piece of bread, please.

Encontré un trozo de vidrio en el suelo.

I found a piece of glass on the floor.

Necesitamos un trozo de cuerda más largo.

We need a longer piece of rope.

Masculine Noun

Remember that 'trozo' is always masculine, so you must use the masculine articles: 'el trozo' (the piece) or 'un trozo' (a piece).

Using 'la' instead of 'el'

Mistake: “La trozo de queso es grande.”

Correction: El trozo de queso es grande. (Even though it ends in 'o', it's easy to forget the gender, but always use 'el'.)

filete

fee-LEH-tehfiˈlete

nounA1culinary
Use this specifically for a thin cut of meat, like a steak, or sometimes fish.
A juicy, grilled steak on a simple white plate.

Examples

He comprado cuatro filetes de ternera para la cena.

I bought four beef steaks for dinner.

¿Prefieres un filete de pescado o de pollo?

Do you prefer a fish fillet or a chicken breast?

El carnicero cortó el filete muy fino.

The butcher cut the steak very thin.

Using 'de' with filete

When you want to say what kind of meat or fish it is, always use 'de' (of). For example: 'filete de merluza' (hake fillet).

Filete vs. Bistec

Mistake: “Using 'bistec' for fish.”

Correction: Use 'filete' for both meat and fish; 'bistec' is only for beef.

pedacito

peh-dah-SEE-tohpeðaˈsito

nounA1general
Use this for a very small piece or tiny bit of food, often implying a small, delicate portion.
A small, colorful piece of a broken ceramic plate lying on a clean surface.

Examples

¿Me das un pedacito de chocolate?

Can you give me a small piece of chocolate?

Solo necesito un pedacito de papel para escribir el número.

I only need a little scrap of paper to write the number.

Ella guarda cada pedacito de recuerdo de su viaje.

She keeps every little bit of memory from her trip.

The 'Smallness' Ending

This word comes from 'pedazo' (piece). By adding '-ito' to the end, Spanish speakers make the word sound smaller, cuter, or more polite.

Spelling Change

Notice that the 'z' in 'pedazo' changes to a 'c' in 'pedacito'. In Spanish, 'z' usually turns into 'c' before the letter 'i' to keep the same soft sound.

Using it for liquids

Mistake: “Un pedacito de agua.”

Correction: Un poquito de agua.

raja

RAH-hahˈra.xa

nounA2general
This term is typically used for a large wedge or slice of a large fruit like watermelon or melon.
A thick, crescent-shaped slice of juicy red watermelon with black seeds on a plain background.

Examples

¿Quieres una raja de sandía?

Do you want a slice of watermelon?

Corta el melón en rajas finas.

Cut the melon into thin slices.

Me comí una raja de pastel.

I ate a slice of cake.

Using 'La' and 'Una'

This word is feminine, so always use 'la raja' or 'una raja' when talking about a slice.

Slice of Bread vs. Fruit

Mistake: “Using 'raja' for bread.”

Correction: Use 'rebanada' for bread and 'raja' for fruit like watermelon or lime.

corte

KOR-tehˈkoɾ.te

nounB1general
This refers to a cut or a wound, not a slice of food, though it can mean a piece cut off something.
A close-up view of a human index finger with a small, clean red cut across the skin, illustrating a physical injury.

Examples

Me hice un corte en el dedo con un papel.

I got a paper cut on my finger.

Necesito un corte de pelo nuevo.

I need a new haircut.

Hubo un corte de luz en todo el barrio.

There was a power outage in the whole neighborhood.

segmento

seg-MEN-tohseɡˈmento

nounB1technical
Use this in technical contexts like geometry or biology to mean a division or section.
A single orange slice separated from the rest of the orange.

Examples

En la clase de geometría, dibujamos un segmento de cinco centímetros.

In geometry class, we drew a five-centimeter segment.

El cuerpo de algunos insectos está dividido en varios segmentos.

The body of some insects is divided into several segments.

Este segmento de la carretera está en muy mal estado.

This section of the highway is in very bad condition.

It's a regular 'O' noun

Since it ends in 'o', it is masculine ('el segmento') and follows the usual rule of adding an 's' for plural ('los segmentos').

Precision over Generalization

Use 'segmento' when you want to sound more precise or technical. If you are just talking about a 'piece' of bread or a 'part' of a movie in casual talk, 'trozo' or 'parte' are more common.

Segmento vs. Gajo

Mistake: “Using 'segmento' for a slice of an orange in a casual kitchen setting.”

Correction: Use 'gajo' for fruit slices. Use 'segmento' only if you are speaking in a scientific or botanical context.

tramo

TRAH-mohˈtɾamo

nounB2general
This refers to a section or stretch, often used for parts of a journey, a budget, or a period of time.
A series of three colorful piggy banks of increasing sizes, each sitting on its own distinct step.

Examples

Mi salario entró en el tramo impositivo más alto.

My salary fell into the highest tax bracket.

El primer tramo de edad para la vacuna empieza mañana.

The first age bracket for the vaccine starts tomorrow.

Debemos analizar el tramo de ingresos de los clientes.

We must analyze the customers' income range.

Abstract Slices

In this context, 'tramo' works exactly like a physical stretch, but applied to numbers or levels.

Bracket vs. Parenthesis

Mistake: “Using 'tramo' for punctuation marks [ ].”

Correction: For punctuation, use 'corchete'. 'Tramo' is only for ranges or levels of things like money or age.

parcela

par-SEH-lahpaɾˈθela

nounC1figurative/technical
This refers to a portion of land or, metaphorically, a part of someone's life, like their privacy.
A round pie with one single slice separated from the rest.

Examples

No quiero que nadie invada mi parcela de intimidad.

I don't want anyone to invade my portion of privacy.

Él controla una gran parcela del mercado tecnológico.

He controls a large segment of the tech market.

Cada departamento tiene su propia parcela de responsabilidad.

Each department has its own portion of responsibility.

Abstract Use

In this sense, the word describes a 'metaphorical' space. It acts just like the word 'area' or 'field' in English.

Food vs. Non-Food Slices

The most common mistake is using words like 'corte' or 'segmento' for food when 'porción', 'trozo', 'pedacito', or 'raja' are appropriate. Remember that 'corte' usually means a wound or a cut made, not a piece served.

Related Translations

Learn Spanish with Inklingo

Interactive stories, personalized learning, and more.