tocino
/toˈθino/masculine
The English word bacon translates to Spanish as tocino. Wiktionary also lists beicon and tocineta.
Meaning: cut of meat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tocino | /toˈθino/ /toˈsino/ |
masculine |
| beicon | /ˈbeikon/ | Cuba, Dominican Republic, Spain, masculine |
| tocineta | /toθiˈneta/ /tosiˈneta/ |
Colombia, Dominican Republic, Venezuela, feminine |
| panceta ahumada | /panθeta aumada/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /panseta aumada/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
Argentina, Uruguay, feminine |
| bacón | /baˈkon/ | masculine |
The term refers to a cut of meat.
Which one should you use?
While tocino is the standard word for bacon, it often refers more generally to cured pork fat or lard in many Spanish-speaking contexts. To specify smoked bacon in certain regions, you may use panceta ahumada.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, the most commonly used term for bacon is tocino. The form beicon is used in Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Spain. In Colombia, the Dominican Republic and Venezuela, the preferred term is tocineta. In Argentina, the preferred term for bacon is panceta and the specific term panceta ahumada is used in Argentina and Uruguay to mean smoked bacon.
How does it change in a sentence?
The regional variant tocineta is a feminine noun, unlike the masculine tocino.
How do you pronounce it?
/toˈθino/
Did you know?
- The word tocino likely has ancient Celtic roots, coming from tucca, a term for liquid lard.
- The word panceta is actually a diminutive of panza, which means 'belly'.
- In Argentina and Uruguay, if you ask for panceta without specifying ahumada, you may receive a product that is not smoked.
Examples in context
- ¿Quiere beicon o salchichas?Would you like bacon or sausage?This sentence is useful for asking about a preference between beicon and sausage.Tatoeba #1333700 by Shishir, translation #34033 by CK
- No arrojes tocino a las ostras.Don't cast bacon before oysters.This sentence uses tocino in a proverbial context.Tatoeba #813190 by jayefes65, translation #813181 by papabear
- Tom se comió mi sándwich de tocino, lechuga y tomate.Tom ate my bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.This sentence shows how to use tocino when describing the ingredients of a sandwich.Tatoeba #1530974 by marcelostockle, translation #1095826 by CK
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Daniel are deciding what to eat for breakfast.
- María¿Quieres huevos con tocino?Do you want eggs with bacon?
- DanielSí, me encanta el tocino crujiente.Yes, I love crispy bacon.
- MaríaVoy a cocinarlo ahora mismo.I am going to cook it right now.
- DanielGracias, María, se ve delicioso.Thanks, María, it looks delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bacon” translations and entries tocino, beicon, tocineta, bacón, 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 beicon, panceta, tocino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
