castaña
/kasˈtaɲa/feminine
The English word "chestnut" is translated into Spanish as castaña.
Castaña is the most common translation for the edible nut of the sweet chestnut tree, related shrubs or similar nuts from unrelated plants. For the specific term "water chestnut", use castaña de agua.
Meaning: edible nut of the Spanish chestnut or sweet chestnut tree (Castanea sativa), nut from a related shrub or tree, similar nut from an unrelated plant (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, the term marrón glacé is used to refer to candied chestnuts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Castaña is a feminine noun, so it must be preceded by feminine articles such as la or unas.
How do you pronounce it?
/kasˈtaɲa/
Did you know?
- In some Spanish contexts, castaña can be used as a slang term to describe something of very poor quality or a complete failure.
- In Spain, a popular way to enjoy the word's namesake is during 'la castañada', a traditional festival involving roasted chestnuts.
- Even though 'chestnut' can describe a brownish color in English, a Spanish speaker would more likely use color castaño to describe hair, but not necessarily a generic object.
Examples in context
- Hay torta de castaña de agua en el refrigerador.There’s water chestnut cake in the fridge.This sentence mentions the presence of a water chestnut cake in the refrigerator using castaña.Tatoeba #8586801 by nonong, translation #13450564 by apzzd
- Me encantan los dulces con marrón glacéI love sweets with candied chestnuts
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are at a street market.
- AlejandroMira, están vendiendo castaña aquí.Look, they are selling chestnuts here.
- María¡Qué bien! Me encantan.Great! I love them.
- Alejandro¿Quieres comprar una bolsa, María?Do you want to buy a bag, María?
- MaríaSí, por favor, Alejandro.Yes, please, Alejandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chestnut” translations and entries castaña, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
