bacalao
/bakaˈlao/masculine
The Spanish word for cod is bacalao.
bacalao is a masculine noun used to refer to any marine fish belonging to the Gadidae family.
Meaning: any marine fish of the family Gadidae (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/bakaˈlao/
Did you know?
- The word bacalao likely stems from the Dutch word 'kabeljauw', reflecting the historical importance of Dutch maritime trade in bringing dried fish to Spanish shores.
- In many Spanish households, bacalao is the traditional centerpiece of the Christmas Eve dinner, often served as bacalao a la vizcaína.
- In Spain, you will find bacalao sold in specialized shops called bacaladerías, which focus exclusively on this type of fish.
Examples in context
- Esto sabe a aceite de hígado de bacalao.This tastes like cod liver oil.This sentence shows how to describe the taste of cod liver oil using bacalao.Tatoeba #4579599 by cueyayotl, translation #5834391 by albrusgher
- ¿Sabes a cuánto está la libra de bacalao?Do you know how much a pound of cod is?This sentence is useful for asking about the price of a pound of cod using bacalao.Tatoeba #4056956 by gianich73, translation #5834382 by albrusgher
- Los niños odian el aceite de hígado de bacalao.Children hate cod liver oil.This sentence illustrates a common sentiment regarding cod liver oil using bacalao.Tatoeba #5834352 by albrusgher, translation #3734310 by CK
- Me gustaría ordenar un plato de bacalao, por favor.I would like to order a cod dish, please.
- Voy a hacer un delicioso guiso de bacalao para la cena.I'm going to make a delicious cod stew for dinner.
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are deciding what to have for dinner.
- MateoHoy quiero comer bacalao con papas.Today I want to eat cod with potatoes.
- SofíaMe parece bien, Sofía lo cocinará.That sounds good, Sofía will cook it.
- Mateo¿Compramos el bacalao fresco o congelado?Should we buy the cod fresh or frozen?
- SofíaMejor compremos el bacalao fresco.It is better if we buy the fresh cod.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cod” translations and entries bacalao, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bacalao, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
