Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| mojar | /moˈxaɾ/ |
| pringar | /pɾinˈɡaɾ/ |
| sopear | /sopeaɾ/ (from spelling rules) |
The word 'dip' can refer to the action of lowering something into a liquid or to the food items themselves. When referring to a dip served as an appetizer, you might use the informal phrase salsa para picar (sauce for nibbling) or the informal diminutive salsitas. If you want to specify that a dip is not spicy, you can use the phrases salsa suave (mild sauce) or sin picante (without spice).
Which one should you use?
While mojar can be used to mean 'to dip' in a culinary context, its most common and primary meaning is 'to wet' or 'to make something damp'. In contrast, sopear is the specific verb used when you are dipping bread or other foods into a liquid such as soup, sauce or oil. The form pringar is also available for this action.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/moˈxaɾ/
Did you know?
- The verb pringar has evolved in colloquial Spanish to mean 'to do the dirty work' or to be the one stuck with a tedious task.
- The word pringar may have roots in the Latin 'pendere', meaning 'to hang', which relates to how liquid might drip or hang from an object.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, sopear is not just a technique but a traditional way of finishing a meal by using bread to clean the remaining sauce from the plate.
Examples in context
- Me gusta mojar las galletas en la leche.I like to dip my cookies in milk.This sentence demonstrates the use of mojar in the context of dipping food into a drink.Tatoeba #1578172 by wallebot, translation #10622719 by sangelo
- Por favor, ¿podría traerme salsa para los nachos?Please, could you bring me dip for the nachos?
- ¡Vamos a hacer unas salsas para picar!Let's make some dips for snacking!
- ¿Me pasas las salsitas?Can you pass me the dips?
- Quisiera una salsa suave para mojar estos vegetales.I would like a mild dip to go with these vegetables.
- Me gustaría una orden de nachos con salsa para picar, por favor.I would like an order of nachos with dip, please.
- Vamos a hacer diferentes salsas para mojar y unos chips.We're going to make different dips and some chips.
- No vayas a mojar el pan en la sopa.Don't dip the bread in the soup.
- Él quiere mojar la fruta en el chocolate.He wants to dip the fruit in the chocolate.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are eating snacks together.
- ElenaJavier, ¿quieres mojar las patatas en esto?Javier, do you want to dip the fries in this?
- JavierSí, parece una salsa muy rica.Yes, it looks like a very tasty sauce.
- ElenaMe encanta mojar todo en salsa.I love to dip everything in sauce.
- JavierYo también, Elena.Me too, Elena.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dip” translations and entries mojar, pringar, 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 mojar, pringar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
