cena caliente
/θena kaljente/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'hot dinner' is translated into Spanish as cena caliente.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cena (dinner) and caliente (hot).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, both Una cena caliente and una cena calentita are widely understood.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective caliente follows the noun cena in standard Spanish word order. To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must take the plural suffix -s, resulting in cenas calientes.
Did you know?
- Because caliente can also be used to describe someone who is 'horny' in slang, some speakers prefer using calentito or caliente carefully when referring to food to avoid unintended double meanings in very informal settings.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the cena is the smallest meal of the day and is often eaten very late, sometimes after 9 or 10 pm.
- The word cena shares a common ancestor with the English word 'kernel', both stemming from an ancient root meaning a 'grain' or 'portion'.
Examples in context
- Te he cocinado una rica cena caliente.I've cooked you a nice hot dinner.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use cena caliente.Tatoeba #1210216 by marcelostockle, translation #65188 by CK
- Una cena caliente y deliciosaA hot and delicious dinner
- Una cena casera calienteA homemade hot dinner
- Prefiero una cena caliente en invierno.I prefer a hot dinner in winter.
- No hay nada mejor que una cena caliente.There is nothing better than a hot dinner.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caliente, cena, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
