olla
/ˈoʝa/feminine
The Spanish word for cooking pot is olla.
A cooking pot is any vessel used for cooking food. While olla is the general term, you may encounter specific variations like ollita for smaller vessels or cazuela for clay pots used in certain regions.
Meaning: any cooking vessel (noun)
Which one should you use?
The diminutive ollita is used specifically to refer to a small or medium-sized cooking pot. In contrast, cazuela refers to a specific type of clay cooking pot used for traditional stews.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Chile and some parts of Central America, the word cazuela is used to refer to a clay cooking pot specifically used for traditional stews.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of olla is ollas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈoʝa/
Did you know?
- In Spain, olla podrida literally means 'rotten pot', but it actually refers to a traditional, rich meat and vegetable stew.
- In some Latin American countries, olla común refers to a community pot where neighbors pool resources to cook a shared meal during economic crises.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, the term olla is used in slang to refer to a 'joint' or a place where drugs are sold.
Examples in context
- Mi abuela siempre cocina deliciosos guisos en una cacerola resistente.My grandmother always cooks delicious stews in a sturdy cooking pot.
- ¡Pon la sopa a calentar en la ollita!Put the soup to heat up in the cooking pot!
- En la fiesta usamos un perol enorme para cocinar la paella.We used a huge pot to cook paella at the party.
- La olla está en la estufa.The pot is on the stove.
- La olla es muy grande.The cooking pot is very large.
- Necesito una olla para la sopa.I need a cooking pot for the soup.
- Lava la olla después de comer.Wash the cooking pot after eating.
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are in the kitchen preparing dinner.
- Mateo¿Dónde está la olla?Where is the cooking pot?
- ElenaEstá sobre la estufa, Mateo.It is on the stove, Mateo.
- MateoGracias, Elena.Thank you, Elena.
- ElenaDe nada.You're welcome.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cooking pot” translations and entries olla, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
