queso light
/keso liɡt/from spelling rules
In Spanish, light cheese is queso light.
The phrase is used to describe cheese that is made to have fewer calories or less fat than the standard version. The word queso means cheese, and the English loanword light is commonly used in many Spanish-speaking countries to denote low-calorie or low-fat food products.
What does it mean word for word?
queso means cheese and light is a borrowed English term used to indicate a reduced fat or calorie content.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, you may see Queso panela light to signify the light or low-fat version of panela cheese. In Argentina, Queso descremado refers to skimmed cheese and Queso magro translates to lean cheese. In Spain, the term desnatado is frequently used for products that have had fat removed, such as queso desnatado.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you pluralize the noun queso to quesos, but the adjective light remains unchanged because it is a borrowed English word.
Did you know?
- The word queso descends from the Latin cāseus, which was itself a loanword from the ancient Greek word for cheese.
- Depending on the country, asking for queso light may result in receiving a processed cheese slice, whereas queso descremado typically refers to a fresh cheese.
- The word light is often printed in English on packaging even when the rest of the label is in Spanish to imply the product is modern or health-conscious.
Examples in context
- Prefiero el queso light en mi ensalada.I prefer light cheese in my salad.
- ¿Tienes queso light en la tienda?Do you have light cheese in the store?
- Este queso light tiene mucho sabor.This light cheese has a lot of flavor.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are grocery shopping together.
- MateoLucía, ¿compramos queso light para los sándwiches?Lucía, shall we buy light cheese for the sandwiches?
- LucíaSí, Mateo, es mejor para la dieta.Yes, Mateo, it is better for the diet.
- MateoBusquemos el queso light en el pasillo de lácteos.Let's look for the light cheese in the dairy aisle.
- LucíaEstá justo allí, en la estantería de arriba.It is right there, on the top shelf.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries light, queso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
