Inklingo

How to Say "snack" in Spanish

English → Spanish

sandwich

/SAHN-dweetch//ˈsandwitʃ/

nounA1general
Use 'sandwich' for a light meal or a prepared item, often with fillings between bread, eaten between main meals.
A fresh sandwich made with two slices of bread, lettuce, tomato, and cheese.

Examples

Quiero un sandwich de jamón y queso para el almuerzo.

I want a ham and cheese sandwich for lunch.

Ella prefiere el sandwich con pan integral.

She prefers the sandwich with whole wheat bread.

No tengo mucha hambre, solo comeré un sandwich pequeño.

I'm not very hungry, I'll just eat a small sandwich.

Spelling and Accents

In formal writing, Spanish adds an accent to make it 'sándwich'. This helps you know to emphasize the first part of the word (SAN-dweetch).

Making it Plural

When you have more than one, you add '-es' at the end to get 'sándwiches'. This is different from English, which just adds 's'.

The Plural 'S'

Mistake: “Dos sandwichs.”

Correction: Dos sándwiches.

taco

/tah-koh//ˈtako/

nounA1general
Use 'taco' specifically when referring to the Mexican dish, which can be eaten as a snack or a meal.
A single delicious Mexican taco with a corn tortilla, meat, cilantro, and onions.

Examples

Quiero tres tacos de carne asada con salsa verde.

I want three grilled meat tacos with green salsa.

En México, el taco es la comida más famosa.

In Mexico, the taco is the most famous food.

Gender of Food

'Taco' is masculine, so use 'el' or 'un'. If you are ordering more than one, it becomes 'los tacos'.

chip

/chip//tʃip/

nounA2general
Use 'chip' for a general term referring to a small, often salty, processed snack like potato chips or corn chips.
A single, golden brown, wavy potato chip resting on a surface.

Examples

Compramos una bolsa de chips para ver la película.

We bought a bag of chips (crisps) to watch the movie.

No comas tantos chips antes de la cena.

Don't eat so many chips before dinner.

Plural Form

The plural form is often 'chips' (keeping the English plural), but sometimes you will hear 'los chip' when referring to a collective amount.

Confusing fries and crisps

Mistake: “Using 'chips' to mean French fries in Spain.”

Correction: In Spain, 'chips' almost always means potato crisps/snacks. For French fries, use 'patatas fritas' (Spain) or 'papas a la francesa' (Latin America).

Choosing the Right Word for 'Snack'

Learners often use 'chip' too broadly. Remember that 'chip' in Spanish usually refers to specific types of crunchy snacks, like potato chips. For a more general light meal or a prepared item, 'sandwich' is often a better fit, and 'taco' is specific to that particular food.

Related Translations

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