cebollino
/θeboʝino/from spelling rules
The English word 'chives' is translated into Spanish as cebollino.
cebollino refers to the small, thin green herbs used in cooking that have a mild onion-like flavor.
What does it mean word for word?
The word cebollino is a diminutive of cebolla (onion), literally meaning 'little onion'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, cebollino is widely used to refer to chives. In Argentina, chives are commonly referred to as Ciboulette.
How does it change in a sentence?
While the English word 'chives' is plural, the Spanish word cebollino is a singular masculine noun. The plural form is cebollinos.
How do you pronounce it?
/θeboʝino/
Did you know?
- In Argentina, the word ciboulette is used instead of cebollino. This is a loanword borrowed from the French word ciboulette.
- The English word 'chive' and the Spanish word cebollino are distant cousins because they both descend from the Latin word cēpa.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, cebollino can be confused with cebolla de verdeo, which is a larger green onion or scallion.
Examples in context
- El cebollino es perfecto para la sopa.Chives are perfect for the soup.
- Necesito comprar un poco de cebollino.I need to buy some chives.
- Pica el cebollino muy finamente.Chop the chives very finely.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are in the kitchen preparing a salad.
- Elena¿Tienes cebollino para la ensalada?Do you have chives for the salad?
- MateoSí, lo tengo en la nevera.Yes, I have it in the fridge.
- ElenaGenial, pásamelo por favor.Great, pass it to me please.
- MateoAquí tienes el cebollino fresco.Here is the fresh chives.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cebollino, CC BY-SA 4.0.
