sobras
/ˈsobɾas/
The English phrase "leftover food" is translated into Spanish as sobras.
sobras is used to describe food that remains uneaten after a meal has been finished. Because it is a feminine noun, you will often see it used with the feminine article las, as in las sobras (the leftovers).
What does it mean word for word?
sobras is the plural form of sobra, which comes from the verb sobrar, meaning "to be left over" or "to be superfluous".
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form sobras is the most common way to refer to leftover food in general. However, you can use the singular form sobra to refer to a single leftover item or a specific surplus.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsobɾas/
Did you know?
- While sobras is a neutral term for food, using it to describe a person or a relationship suggests they are unwanted or merely a second choice.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, sobras are specifically reimagined into new dishes called recetas de aprovechamiento or 'utilization recipes'.
- If you want to sound more polite or appetizing when offering leftovers to a guest, you might avoid sobras and instead use the phrase comida que quedó (food that remained).
Examples in context
- Hay algo de sobras en el frigorífico.There's some leftover food in the fridge.This sentence shows how to use sobras to mention food in the fridge.Tatoeba #6452545 by diegohn, translation #3386090 by Hybrid
- Tom no sabía qué hacer con las sobras.Tom didn't know what to do with the leftover food.This sentence shows how to use sobras when someone is unsure how to handle leftover food.Tatoeba #1287312 by Shishir, translation #1026347 by CK
- Después del evento, quedaron muchas sobras de comida.After the event, there were a lot of leftovers.
- ¡No quiero desperdiciar las sobras! Las guardaré para mañana.I don't want to waste the leftovers! I'll save them for tomorrow.
- Hay muchos restos de comida en la nevera. Los podemos comer para la cena.There are a lot of leftovers in the fridge. We can eat them for dinner.
- No quiero tirar las sobras de la cena.I do not want to throw away the leftover food from dinner.
Example conversation
Daniel and María are in the kitchen deciding what to eat.
- Daniel¿Qué vamos a cenar hoy, María?What are we going to have for dinner today, María?
- MaríaPodemos comer las sobras de ayer.We can eat the leftovers from yesterday.
- DanielEs una buena idea, tengo mucha hambre.That is a good idea, I am very hungry.
- MaríaEntonces, yo calentaré la comida para ti.Then, I will heat up the food for you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry sobras, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
