aceite de cocina
/aθeite de koθina/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase "cooking oil" is translated into Spanish as aceite de cocina.
aceite de cocina is a masculine noun used to refer to purified fat.
Meaning: purified fat (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of aceite (oil), de (of) and cocina (kitchen/cooking).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain and many Latin American countries, Aceite de Oliva is a common term used to specifically mean "olive oil". In many Spanish-speaking contexts, aceite vegetal is also a common way to refer to general-purpose cooking oil.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun aceite is masculine, so it takes the masculine article el to form el aceite de cocina.
How do you pronounce it?
/aθeite de koθina/
Did you know?
- The word aceite was borrowed into Spanish from the Arabic word az-zayt, which refers specifically to olive oil.
- While aceite de cocina is the literal term, many Spanish speakers use the term aceite alone in a kitchen setting, as the context makes the purpose obvious.
- In Spanish, aceite can refer to any oil, but in many ancient contexts and regional dialects, the word alone implied olive oil by default.
Examples in context
- Necesito comprar aceite de cocina para hacer una tortilla de patatas.I need to buy cooking oil to make a potato omelet.
- María derramó todo el aceite para freír al preparar las empanadas.María spilled all the frying oil while making empanadas.
- Es preferible utilizar aceite de oliva para una preparación más saludable.It is preferable to use olive oil for a healthier preparation.
- Necesito comprar aceite de cocina.I need to buy cooking oil.
- El aceite de cocina está en la despensa.The cooking oil is in the pantry.
- No queda mucho aceite de cocina en la botella.There isn't much cooking oil left in the bottle.
Example conversation
In a kitchen while preparing a meal.
- ElenaAlejandro, ¿tienes aceite de cocina?Alejandro, do you have cooking oil?
- AlejandroSí, está en el armario de la cocina.Yes, it is in the kitchen cupboard.
- ElenaGracias, voy a usarlo para las patatas.Thanks, I'm going to use it for the potatoes.
- AlejandroDe nada, Elena.You're welcome, Elena.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cooking oil” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aceite, cocina, de, CC BY-SA 4.0.
