Which one should you use?
While calamares is the standard term for the dish or the food, the singular form calamar is used to refer to a single squid as a biological entity.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, particularly in the Basque region, the term rabas is widely used for calamari. In Mexico, an alternative term for the food is calamares fritos. In Argentina and Uruguay, anillas de calamar is often used to refer to calamari rings.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun and is almost always used in its plural form calamares when referring to the dish or the animal in a culinary context.
How do you pronounce it?
/kalaˈmaɾes/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use the singular English word "calamari" when speaking Spanish. Instead, use the standard Spanish plural noun calamares.
Did you know?
- The phrase calamares en su tinta describes a dish where the squid is cooked in its own ink. This is one of the few culinary traditions globally where the animal's own biological secretions are the primary flavor base.
- While English treats 'calamari' as a mass noun like 'rice' or 'water', the Spanish calamares is a count noun. This means the language views the dish as a collection of individual animals rather than a generic substance.
- In the Basque region, the term rabas is used for fried squid. This regional term is so distinct that a diner in Bilbao might not immediately associate it with the standard word calamares used in Madrid.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría pedir una ración de calamares, por favor.I would like to order a portion of calamari, please.
- Vamos a pedir unas rabas para picar antes de la cena.Let's order some calamari as an appetizer before dinner.
- En este restaurante sirven deliciosas anillas de calamar fritas.They serve delicious fried calamari rings at this restaurant.
- ¿Me recomendarías los calamares fritos de este lugar?Would you recommend the fried calamari from this place?
- ¿Dónde puedo probar los mejores calamares?Where can I try the best calamari?
- Los calamares están muy frescos hoy.The squid are very fresh today.
- ¿Quieres pedir unos calamares fritos?Do you want to order some fried calamari?
- Me encantan los calamares a la romana.I love squid prepared Roman style.
Example conversation
A couple is looking at a menu in a seaside restaurant.
- MaríaJavier, ¿qué te apetece comer?Javier, what do you feel like eating?
- JavierMe gustaría probar los calamares.I would like to try the calamari.
- María¡Qué buena idea! Yo también.What a great idea! Me too.
- JavierEntonces pediremos un plato para compartir.Then we will order one dish to share.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry calamares, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
