Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mantequilla | /manteˈkiʝa/ | feminine |
| manteca | /manˈteka/ | Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, feminine |
Both mantequilla and manteca are used to refer to the soft foodstuff made from milk, but their meanings vary significantly depending on where you are and the context of the conversation.
What does it mean word for word?
The word mantequilla is composed of the root manteca (meaning fat or lard) and the diminutive suffix -quilla.
Which one should you use?
mantequilla is the standard term for butter used in most Spanish-speaking countries. In contrast, in most Spanish-speaking regions, manteca refers to lard (animal fat) rather than butter.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, manteca is the specific word used for butter. However, in many other regions, manteca may instead refer to lard or vegetable shortening.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Both mantequilla and manteca are feminine nouns. Therefore, when using the definite article, you should use la (e.g., la mantequilla).
How do you pronounce it?
/manteˈkiʝa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful when using manteca outside of the Southern Cone (Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay), as most speakers will assume you are referring to lard or vegetable shortening instead of butter.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American dialects, calling a person manteca can be a way of saying they are lazy or lack discipline.
- The word manteca is believed to potentially stem from Paleo-Hispanic languages, such as Iberian or Celtiberian, rather than from Latin.
- The phrase está como mantequilla can be used to describe a person's skin when it is exceptionally smooth or soft.
Examples in context
- La manteca es suave.Butter is soft.This sentence uses manteca to describe the texture of butter.Tatoeba #5046000 by don_ramon, translation #1098092 by cntrational
- La manteca se hace con crema.Butter is made from cream.This sentence uses manteca to explain what butter is made from.Tatoeba #1731669 by hayastan, translation #35199 by sacredceltic
- Compra un poco de mantequilla.Buy some butter.This sentence uses mantequilla to provide an instruction to buy butter.Tatoeba #13370566 by Lernema, translation #13370496 by frpzzd
- En esta receta, necesitamos agregar dos cucharadas de manteca.In this recipe, we need to add two tablespoons of butter.
- La manteca derretida le da suavidad a la masa de las galletas.The melted butter gives smoothness to the cookie dough.
- Agrega una cucharada de mantequilla a la sartén antes de cocinar los huevos revueltos.Add a tablespoon of butter to the pan before cooking the scrambled eggs.
- Necesitamos mantequilla para untar en las tostadas del desayuno.We need butter to spread on the breakfast toast.
- La receta indica utilizar mantequilla sin sal.The recipe suggests using unsalted butter.
- 99 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are in the kitchen making breakfast.
- Lucía¿Tienes mantequilla para el pan?Do you have butter for the bread?
- JavierSí, la mantequilla está sobre la mesa.Yes, the butter is on the table.
- LucíaGracias, Javier, eres muy amable.Thanks, Javier, you are very kind.
- JavierDe nada, Lucía. ¿Quieres más?You're welcome, Lucía. Do you want more?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “butter” translations and entries mantequilla, manteca, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries manteca, mantequilla, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
