Inklingo

How to Say "sour" in Spanish

English → Spanish

agrio

/ah-gree-oh//ˈa.ɣɾjo/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'agrio' for the common sour taste associated with fruits like lemons, limes, or unripe fruit, or for fermented foods.
A bright yellow lemon cut in half on a clean wooden surface, showing its juicy segments.

Examples

No me gusta este limón porque es muy agrio.

I don't like this lemon because it is very sour.

Huele la leche; creo que está agria.

Smell the milk; I think it is spoiled.

Las manzanas verdes tienen un sabor agrio que me encanta.

Green apples have a tart taste that I love.

Using 'Ser' vs 'Estar'

Use 'ser' when a food is naturally sour (like a lemon). Use 'estar' when food has turned sour because it's gone bad (like milk).

Matching Gender

Remember to change the ending to 'agria' if you are describing a word that is feminine, like 'la manzana' (the apple) or 'la leche' (the milk).

Agrio vs. Amargo

Mistake: “El café sin azúcar es muy agrio.”

Correction: El café sin azúcar es muy amargo.

ácido

adjectiveA1general
Use 'ácido' to describe a sharp, tart, or acidic taste, often similar to 'agrio' but can also refer to a more chemically acidic sensation.

Examples

El limón es demasiado ácido para comerlo solo.

The lemon is too sour to eat by itself.

acre

/ah-kreh//ˈa.kɾe/

adjectiveC1general
Use 'acre' for a harsh, pungent, or acrid taste or smell, often unpleasant and not typically associated with food.
A green lemon slice and a small puff of sharp-smelling green smoke to represent a pungent scent.

Examples

Había un olor acre a humo en la habitación.

There was an acrid smell of smoke in the room.

Su respuesta fue acre y llena de resentimiento.

His answer was biting and full of resentment.

El sabor acre de la fruta verde no me gustó.

I didn't like the sharp, sour taste of the green fruit.

One form for both

This adjective ends in 'e', which means it stays the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine (e.g., 'un olor acre', 'una respuesta acre').

Gender confusion

Mistake: “Changing it to 'acra' for feminine nouns.”

Correction: Keep it as 'acre' for both 'el' and 'la' nouns.

Agrio vs. Ácido

The most common confusion is between 'agrio' and 'ácido', as both can describe a sour taste. Generally, 'agrio' is for food tastes like lemons, while 'ácido' is a slightly more formal or scientific term for tartness, though they are often interchangeable for common sour foods.

Related Translations

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