aguacate
/aɡwaˈkate/masculine
The Spanish word for avocado is aguacate. Wiktionary also lists palta and cura.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| aguacate | /aɡwaˈkate/ | masculine |
| palta | /ˈpalta/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, feminine |
| cura | /ˈkuɾa/ | Colombia, dated, feminine |
| avocado | /aboˈkado/ | masculine |
| shunte | /sunte/ (from spelling rules) | Honduras, masculine |
| shute | /ˈʃute/ | masculine |
| xinene (shinene) | masculine |
Which one should you use?
The standard term aguacate is masculine, whereas the regional variant palta is feminine. There are also several other regional forms used in specific areas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Aguacate is the most common term in Mexico, Central America and Spain. In many South American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Uruguay, the word palta is used. Other regional terms include shunte and shute in Honduras, xinene (shinene) and the dated term cura in Colombia.
How does it change in a sentence?
Aguacate and avocado are masculine nouns. However, the variant palta is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/aɡwaˈkate/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the English word avocado in Spanish, but the correct Spanish word is aguacate.
Did you know?
- The word avocado is actually a Spanish-influenced adaptation of aguacate, rather than the other way around.
- While aguacate is the standard term in Mexico, using it in Chile or Argentina might be understood but would immediately mark the speaker as a foreigner.
Examples in context
- La palta es una fruta.Avocado is a fruit.This sentence identifies that palta is a fruit.Tatoeba #6023042 by Julian_L, translation #2761933 by mervert1
- La palta es rica en grasas.The avocado is rich in fats.This sentence describes the nutritional content of palta.Tatoeba #6391118 by dfrankmv, translation #6393181 by npvojtik
- Preparame un batido de palta.Make me an avocado smoothie.This sentence shows how to request a smoothie made with palta.Tatoeba #974878 by hayastan, translation #12049473 by humding3r
- Me gustaría una ensalada con palta, por favorI would like a salad with avocado, please
- El guacamole lleva aguacate, tomate, y cebollaGuacamole contains avocado, tomato, and onion
- Vamos a agregar palta al sándwichLet's add avocado to the sandwich
- ¿Tienes aguacates para hacer guacamole?Do you have avocados to make guacamole?
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are preparing breakfast in the kitchen.
- Mateo¿Tienes un aguacate para el pan?Do you have an avocado for the toast?
- SofíaSí, hay uno en el refrigerador.Yes, there is one in the refrigerator.
- MateoGracias, Sofía. Voy a cortarlo ahora.Thanks, Sofía. I am going to cut it now.
- SofíaPerfecto, Mateo. Me gusta mucho el aguacate.Perfect, Mateo. I like avocado very much.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “avocado” translations and entries aguacate, palta, cura, avocado, shute, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aguacate, avocado, cura, palta, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
