cocinero
/koθiˈneɾo/
The Spanish word for chef is cocinero.
cocinero refers to a person who cooks, often used for a general cook. In professional culinary environments, the English loanword chef is also commonly used to denote a high-ranking head chef.
Meaning: head cook of an establishment such as a restaurant (noun)
Which one should you use?
While cocinero is the standard term for a cook, the loanword chef is specifically used in professional Spanish-speaking culinary contexts to imply a high-ranking position. Use Jefe de cocina or Chef Ejecutivo when specifically referring to the head of a kitchen or an executive chef.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes based on gender and number: use cocinera for a female chef, and cocineros for a group of male chefs or a mixed-gender group. The masculine singular form is cocinero.
How do you pronounce it?
/koθiˈneɾo/
Did you know?
- In some Latin American regions, a very skilled cook who is not a formal chef might be affectionately called a maestro of the kitchen.
- The word cocinero is a doublet of the more archaic term coquinario.
- The term chef in Spanish is an example of a 'prestige loanword', where a foreign term is adopted specifically to sound more sophisticated or international.
Examples in context
- Tenemos un cocinero excelente.We have a very good chef.This sentence demonstrates the use of cocinero to describe a person's profession.Tatoeba #5566349 by swyter, translation #5321697 by bluedragon123
- El cocinero preparó la cena.The chef prepared the dinner.
- ¿Es usted el cocinero de este restaurante?Are you the chef of this restaurant?
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía is asking Daniel about his profession at a restaurant.
- LucíaHola, ¿eres el cocinero aquí?Hello, are you the chef here?
- DanielSí, soy el cocinero principal.Yes, I am the head chef.
- Lucía¡Qué bueno! Tu comida es deliciosa.That's great! Your food is delicious.
- DanielMuchas gracias por el cumplido.Thank you very much for the compliment.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry cocinero, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cocinero, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
