How to Say "tablespoon" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “tablespoon” is “cuchara” — use 'cuchara' when referring to the actual eating utensil, especially a larger-sized spoon, not specifically a cooking measurement.
cuchara
koo-CHAH-rahkuˈtʃaɾa
Examples
Pásame una cuchara grande para servir el arroz.
Pass me a large spoon to serve the rice.
Necesito una cuchara para la sopa.
I need a spoon for the soup.
Revuelve el café con la cuchara pequeña.
Stir the coffee with the small spoon.
El albañil usa la cuchara para poner el cemento.
The bricklayer uses the trowel to apply the cement.
Gender and Articles
This word is feminine, so you always use 'la' or 'una'. To make it plural, just add an 's': 'las cucharas'.
Cuchara vs. Cucharada
Mistake: “Using 'cuchara' to mean 'spoonful'.”
Correction: Use 'cucharada' for the amount of food that fits in a spoon, and 'cuchara' for the physical tool itself.
cucharada
koo-chah-rah-dahkut͡ʃaˈɾaða
Examples
Añade una cucharada de aceite de oliva a la ensalada.
Add a spoonful of olive oil to the salad.
Solo quiero una cucharada de helado, por favor.
I only want one spoonful of ice cream, please.
La receta dice que necesitas dos cucharadas de aceite de oliva.
The recipe says you need two tablespoons of olive oil.
Toma una cucharada de este jarabe cada ocho horas.
Take one spoonful of this syrup every eight hours.
The '-ada' Ending
In Spanish, adding '-ada' to the end of a tool (like 'cuchara' for spoon) changes it into the amount that tool can hold. It's like adding '-ful' in English.
Linking with 'de'
When you want to say what the spoonful is of, always use the word 'de'. For example: 'una cucharada DE azúcar' (a spoonful of sugar).
Tool vs. Amount
Mistake: “Dame una cuchara de azúcar.”
Correction: Dame una cucharada de azúcar.
Cuchara vs. Cucharada
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