queque
everyday, Costa Rica
In Costa Rica a cake is usually a queque. You will also hear pastel, and torta is understood, though in some countries torta means a sandwich.
Meaning: sweet baked dessert (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| queque | everyday, Costa Rica |
| pastel | also used |
| torta | understood |
A birthday cake is a queque de cumpleaños. At a bakery you can ask for un pedazo de queque, "a piece of cake".
Which one should you use?
Spanish speakers in other countries may say pastel, tarta or torta, so queque is a good sign you are hearing Costa Rican speech. The word comes from English "cake".
Did you know?
- The word queque is also used in Chile and Peru, where it is written keke in Peru.
Examples in context
- Quiero un pedazo de queque.I want a piece of cake.
- Compramos un queque para el cumpleaños.We bought a cake for the birthday.
- El queque de naranja está rico.The orange cake is tasty.
Example conversation
Mariana and her son Diego choose a cake at a bakery in Heredia.
- MarianaBuenas, ¿tienen queque de chocolate?Hello, do you have chocolate cake?
- DiegoMamá, ese queque se ve rico.Mom, that cake looks tasty.
- MarianaEstá bien, llevamos ese.All right, we will take that one.
