pan
/ˈpan/masculine
The Spanish word for bread is pan.
pan is a masculine noun meaning baked dough made from cereals. It can also be used in idiomatic expressions, such as un pan de Dios, which describes a person who is exceptionally kind, gentle or saintly.
Meaning: baked dough made from cereals (noun)
Which one should you use?
While pan is the noun for the food itself, the verb empanar is used specifically for the culinary process of coating food in flour, egg or breadcrumbs.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Uruguay, the informal term canilla is used to describe a smaller or thinner loaf of bread.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpan/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often use the plural panes to mean different types of bread. However, in Spanish, pan is often used as an uncountable mass noun, whereas panes specifically refers to individual loaves or rolls.
Did you know?
- The English word 'company' is a distant relative of pan. Both words stem from the same ancient root meaning 'to feed' or 'to provide food'.
- The expression pan comido is used to describe a task that is incredibly easy. It is the Spanish equivalent of saying something is 'a piece of cake'.
- The phrase ganarse el pan is used to describe earning a living. It is the direct equivalent of the English idiom 'to bring home the bacon'.
Examples in context
- Tú eres un pan.You're a bread.This sentence shows how pan can be used in a metaphorical sense.Tatoeba #1241320 by marcelostockle, translation #1241061 by Scott
- Me comí mi pan.I ate my bread.This sentence shows the use of pan to refer to a piece of bread being eaten.Tatoeba #13611187 by Lernema, translation #13609880 by Babelball
- Me gusta el pan.I like bread.This sentence demonstrates a simple preference for pan.Tatoeba #4482654 by cueyayotl, translation #3254621 by CK
- 285 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are preparing a snack in their kitchen.
- Lucía¿Hay pan para el sándwich?Is there bread for the sandwich?
- DanielSí, Lucía, tengo pan en la alacena.Yes, Lucía, I have bread in the pantry.
- LucíaPerfecto, Daniel, trae un poco.Perfect, Daniel, bring some.
- DanielAquí tienes el pan.Here is the bread.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bread” translations and entries pan, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pan, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
