Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| pescado | /pesˈkado/ | masculine |
| pez | /ˈpeθ/ /ˈpes/ |
masculine |
| peje | /ˈpexe/ | masculine |
| pesce (disused) | masculine |
The choice of word depends entirely on whether the fish is alive or being discussed as food. You use pez for a vertebrate animal living in water, while pescado refers to a fish that has been caught and is intended to be eaten.
Which one should you use?
Use pez when referring to a fish that is alive and swimming in water. Use pescado when referring to a fish that has been caught and is intended for consumption.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico and Central America, the word pargo is used to refer specifically to a red snapper.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural of pez is peces, and the plural of pescado is pescados.
How do you pronounce it?
/pesˈkado/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use pez when ordering fish at a restaurant. Use pescado instead. Conversely, do not use pescado when referring to a living animal in an aquarium. Use pez instead.
Did you know?
- In Spanish, the word pez is a homonym with another word meaning 'pitch' or 'resin'.
- The word pescado is not just a noun for food, but is actually the perfect passive participle of the Latin verb 'to fish'.
- Spanish shares a common ancestor for 'fish' with Romanian pește, Italian pesce and Portuguese peixe.
Examples in context
- No es un pez.It's not a fish.This sentence uses the form pez.Tatoeba #1513877 by marcelostockle, translation #1513673 by CM
- Esto es un pez.This is a fish.Tatoeba #3048279 by hayastan, translation #2629585 by CM
- Casi cojo el pez.I almost caught the fish.Tatoeba #1753845 by wallebot, translation #255778 by CK
- En el acuario hay muchos peces de colores.In the aquarium, there are many colorful fish.
- Me gusta el olor a mar y a pez fresco.I like the smell of the sea and fresh fish.
- ¿Quieres pescado a la parrilla para la cena?Do you want grilled fish for dinner?
- Mi abuelo siempre compra pescado fresco en el mercado.My grandfather always buys fresh fish at the market.
- 298 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are deciding what to have for dinner.
- MateoHoy quiero comer pescado.Today I want to eat fish.
- LucíaMe parece una buena idea.I think that is a good idea.
- Mateo¿Compramos el pescado fresco?Shall we buy the fish fresh?
- LucíaSí, vamos al mercado ahora.Yes, let's go to the market now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “fish” translations and entries pescado, pez, peje, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries peje, pescado, pez, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
