leche de coco
/ˌlet͡ʃe de ˈkoko/masculine
The English phrase coconut milk is translated into Spanish as leche de coco. Wiktionary also lists agua de coco.
Meaning: the liquid from inside the seed of the coconut (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| leche de coco | /ˌlet͡ʃe de ˈkoko/ | masculine |
| agua de coco | /ˌaɡwa de ˈkoko/ | masculine |
This term refers specifically to the white, creamy liquid extracted from the meat of the coconut.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase leche de coco is built from leche (milk) and de coco (of coconut).
Which one should you use?
Use leche de coco for the white, creamy liquid extracted from the coconut meat, whereas agua de coco refers to coconut water, the clear liquid found inside a young coconut.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both forms are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˌletʃe de ˈkoko/
Did you know?
- The word coco is actually an ancient description of a 'grinning face', as the fruit's three eye-like markings resemble a skull or a bogeyman.
- In many Spanish-speaking coastal regions, leche de coco is the essential base for 'arroz con coco', a traditional sweet coconut rice served as a side dish with fish.
- The word leche comes from the Latin word lac, which is the distant ancestor of the English word 'lactate'.
Examples in context
- Tom bebió leche de coco.Tom drank coconut milk.Tatoeba #13651938 by mervert1, translation #10651616 by CK
- Por favor, ¿este plato contiene leche de coco?Excuse me, does this dish contain coconut milk?
- ¿Dónde puedo encontrar leche de coco enlatada?Where can I find canned coconut milk?
- ¡Esta sopa está deliciosa! Se nota que usaste leche de coco frescaThis soup is delicious! You can tell you used fresh coconut milk
- Necesito leche de coco para la receta.I need coconut milk for the recipe.
- La leche de coco es muy cremosa.The coconut milk is very creamy.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are grocery shopping together.
- Mateo¿Viste la leche de coco en la lista?Did you see the coconut milk on the list?
- ElenaSí, está en el pasillo de la comida latina.Yes, it is in the Latin food aisle.
- MateoPerfecto, la voy a buscar ahora.Perfect, I am going to look for it now.
- ElenaGracias, Mateo, me ayudas mucho.Thanks, Mateo, you help me a lot.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coconut milk” translations and entries leche de coco, agua de coco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, coco, de, leche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
