masa
/ˈmasa/feminine
In Spanish, dough is masa. Wiktionary also lists pasta and amasadura.
Meaning: mix of flour and other ingredients (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| masa | /ˈmasa/ | feminine | |
| pasta | /ˈpasta/ | feminine | |
| amasadura | /amasaduɾa/ (from spelling rules) | feminine | |
| textal (teshtal) | for tortillas | masculine |
The word masa is the standard term for dough used in bread, pastries and various dough-based foods.
Which one should you use?
While masa refers to physical dough, pasta is a common slang term for money, similar to the English word 'dough'. Use masa for the physical substance used in baking, whereas pasta in a culinary context usually refers to pasta (noodles).
Is it said differently in some regions?
textal (teshtal) is used for tortillas.
How does it change in a sentence?
masa, pasta and amasadura are feminine, while textal (teshtal) is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmasa/
Did you know?
- In the context of electricity, masa is the term used for the 'ground' or 'earth' connection in a circuit.
- The word masa is used in Spanish to describe not just dough but also the physical concept of 'mass' in physics.
- The Spanish word pasta refers to both pasta noodles and a variety of pastes, such as toothpaste pasta de dientes.
Examples in context
- Tom gana mogollón de pasta.Tom makes a shit-ton of dough.This sentence shows the slang use of pasta to mean money.Tatoeba #4553976 by swyter, translation #4541271 by Jesse
- La levadura hace que la masa se eleve.Yeast makes dough rise.This sentence shows how yeast affects the masa.Tatoeba #2442471 by hayastan, translation #66758 by CM
- Amasé la masa para hacer unas galletas.I rolled the dough to make some cookies.This sentence describes the process of kneading the masa for cookies.Tatoeba #13682718 by Seael, translation #681964 by Source_VOA
- El panadero mezcló la harina y el agua para formar la masa del pan.The baker mixed flour and water to form the bread dough.
- Mi abuela hace una pasta deliciosa para los raviolis.My grandmother makes a delicious dough for the ravioli.
- ¿Sabes cómo hacer masa de pizza casera?Do you know how to make homemade pizza dough?
- Necesito comprar masa para hacer empanadas.I need to buy dough to make empanadas.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Elena are in the kitchen preparing bread.
- MateoElena, ¿puedes tocar la masa?Elena, can you touch the dough?
- ElenaSí, Mateo, la masa está perfecta.Yes, Mateo, the dough is perfect.
- Mateo¡Qué bueno! Vamos a meterla al horno.That's great! Let's put it in the oven.
- ElenaEspera, todavía le falta un poco.Wait, it still needs a little more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dough” translations and entries masa, pasta, 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.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
