frijol
/fɾiˈxol/masculine
In Spanish, bean is translated as frijol. Wiktionary also lists habichuela and haba.
Meaning: seed of a Fabaceae plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| frijol | /fɾiˈxol/ /fɾiˈʃol/ |
masculine |
| habichuela | /abiˈt͡ʃwela/ | |
| haba | /ˈaba/ | feminine |
| judía | /xuˈdia/ | Spain, feminine |
| alubia | /aˈlubja/ | feminine |
| poroto | /poˈɾoto/ | South America, masculine |
| caraota | /kaɾaˈota/ | Venezuela, feminine |
| xpelón | /espeˈlon/ /ʃpeˈlon/ |
masculine, uncommon |
The word refers to the seed of a Fabaceae plant.
Which one should you use?
While frijol is used as a general term for beans, haba specifically refers to the broad bean (fava bean).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term used for bean varies significantly by location. In Venezuela, the word caraota is used. In many parts of South America, poroto is the common term.
How does it change in a sentence?
frijol is a masculine noun. Its plural is frijoles. habichuela is a feminine noun. Its plural is habichuelas. alubia is a feminine noun. Its plural is alubias. haba and judía are feminine nouns.
Did you know?
- The word judía for bean is a linguistic oddity that shares its root with the word for a Jewish woman.
- The term alubia is primarily used in Spain while frijol is dominant in the Americas. Using alubia in Mexico might sound foreign even though both are correct Spanish.
- While frijol is the general term for many beans the word haba is reserved specifically for the broad bean. In many cultures the broad bean is associated with divination or luck during festivals.
Examples in context
- Una alubia puede responder todas las preguntas.A bean can answer all the questions.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use alubia.Tatoeba #576586 by Shishir, translation #574563 by DJ_Saidez
- Me gusta cocinar con judías.I like to cook with beans.
- Voy a cocinar unas habichuelas para la cena.I'm going to cook some beans for dinner.
- Las alubias rojas son muy populares en esta región.Red beans are very popular in this region.
- Me gusta mucho el frijol negro.I really like black bean.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- Mateo¿Qué quieres cenar hoy, Lucía?What do you want for dinner today, Lucía?
- LucíaQuiero comer sopa de frijol.I want to eat bean soup.
- MateoBuena idea, tengo frijol en la cocina.Good idea, I have beans in the kitchen.
- LucíaPerfecto, yo ayudo a cocinar, Mateo.Perfect, I will help cook, Mateo.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bean” translations and entries frijol, habichuela, haba, judía, alubia, poroto, caraota, xpelón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries frijol, haba, habichuela, judía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
