plato principal
/plato pɾinθipal/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for entree is plato principal.
plato principal is used to refer to the main course of a meal.
How do you pronounce it?
/plato pɾinθipal/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you ask for the 'entree' using the English sense of the word, people might be confused, as in many places an 'entrada' is actually an appetizer rather than the main course.
- The root of plato comes from the Ancient Greek word platús, which means 'wide'.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, a plato combinado is a single plate containing several small portions of different foods instead of one main dish.
Examples in context
- El plato principal es muy grande.The main course is very large.
- ¿Qué plato principal vas a pedir?What main course are you going to order?
- Prefiero el plato principal de pollo.I prefer the chicken main course.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are ordering food at a restaurant.
- Elena¿Qué vas a pedir como plato principal, Daniel?What are you going to order as a main course, Daniel?
- DanielCreo que pediré la carne asada.I think I will order the roast beef.
- ElenaSuena bien. Yo pediré la pasta.Sounds good. I will order the pasta.
- DanielPerfecto, pidamos el plato principal ahora.Perfect, let's order the main course now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry plato principal, 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 plato, principal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
