patatas fritas
/patatas fɾitas/from spelling rules
The English phrase "crisps" is translated into Spanish as patatas fritas.
The term refers to thin slices of potato that have been fried or baked until crunchy.
Which one should you use?
In most of Latin America, speakers use papas instead of patatas to refer to the potato itself.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, papas is the most common term for crisps. In many Latin American countries, the diminutive form papitas is frequently used for crisps. In some Spanish-speaking countries, papas fritas (which translates to fried potatoes) is used to refer to crisps and papitas is also commonly used to mean crisps or chips.
How do you pronounce it?
/patatas fɾitas/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be aware that patatas fritas is a broad term that can cover both "crisps" and "French fries" depending on the country and context.
Did you know?
- Ordering patatas in a Spanish tapas bar usually results in a plate of cubed fried potatoes, which are neither 'crisps' nor 'French fries'.
- Because patatas fritas can mean both 'crisps' and 'French fries', you may need to specify if they are 'de bolsa' (in a bag) to avoid confusion in a restaurant.
- Spanish speakers may use the word chips, pronounced similarly to English, specifically when referring to modern or branded snack products.
Examples in context
- Emily está comiendo patatas fritas.Emily's eating crisps.This sentence is useful for seeing how to describe someone eating patatas fritas.Tatoeba #5082981 by diegohn, translation #3456687 by Jesse
- En la reunión de negocios, sirvieron papas fritas como aperitivo.At the business meeting, they served crisps as an appetizer.
- Después de la escuela, siempre me gusta comer papitas con mis amigos.After school, I always like to eat crisps with my friends.
- Me encantan las patatas fritas saladas.I love salty crisps.
- ¿Quieres compartir estas patatas fritas?Do you want to share these crisps?
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are preparing snacks for a party.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿compraste las patatas fritas?Daniel, did you buy the crisps?
- DanielNo, se me olvidó comprarlas.No, I forgot to buy them.
- SofíaNecesitamos patatas fritas para los invitados.We need crisps for the guests.
- DanielVoy a la tienda ahora mismo.I am going to the shop right now.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
