popote
everyday, Mexico
In Mexican Spanish a drinking straw is a popote. Other countries use different words, such as pajita in Spain and pitillo in Colombia. It is also called pajilla.
Meaning: straw for drinking (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| popote | everyday, Mexico |
| pajilla | Costa Rica |
| pitillo | Colombia |
| pajita | Spain |
At a restaurant in Mexico you ask ¿Me da un popote? or Sin popote, por favor. The word is used everywhere in the country.
Is it said differently in some regions?
Popote is the Mexican word and it comes from Nahuatl. If you use pajita, a Mexican will still understand you, but popote sounds natural.
How does it change in a sentence?
Popote is masculine, so you say el popote and los popotes.
Did you know?
- The word popote comes from the Nahuatl word popotl, which meant straw or reed.
Examples in context
- ¿Me trae un popote, por favor?Can you bring me a straw, please?
- Quiero mi licuado sin popote.I want my smoothie without a straw.
- Los popotes de papel se deshacen.Paper straws fall apart.
Example conversation
Fernanda orders a drink from the waiter Beto at a taco place in Guadalajara.
- FernandaUn agua de jamaica, por favor.A hibiscus water, please.
- Beto¿Con popote?With a straw?
- FernandaSí, con popote.Yes, with a straw.
