caballa
/kaˈbaʝa/feminine
Mackerel is caballa in Spanish.
The term refers to the edible sea fish known as mackerel.
Meaning: edible fish (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly the Canary Islands and parts of Latin America, el chicharro is used. In Mexico, la sierra is occasionally used for mackerel.
How does it change in a sentence?
The default form caballa is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈbaʝa/
Did you know?
- The word caballa is actually the feminine form of the Latin word for 'horse'.
- The word chicharro is not used for mackerel in all of Latin America and can refer to a type of bean or a spark in other contexts.
- In certain traditional Spanish recipes, caballa is treated as a 'poor man's tuna' due to its similar oily texture and flavor.
Examples in context
- La caballa es un pescado marino comestible.Mackerel is an edible sea fish.Tatoeba #13536032 by Seael, translation #13544453 by rul
- La caballa sabe bien tanto si la cocinas a fuego lento como si la asas a la parrilla.Mackerel tastes good whether you simmer it or grill it.Tatoeba #5765102 by albrusgher, translation #2737404 by CK
- Estoy de camino a la lonja de pescado. ¿Qué te gustaría para comer? ¿Caballa o sardina?I'm on my way to the fish market. What would you like for lunch? Mackerel or sardine?Tatoeba #5854004 by albrusgher, translation #5457376 by Mouguias
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are at a local fish market.
- MateoMira, esa caballa se ve muy fresca.Look, that mackerel looks very fresh.
- LucíaTienes razón, Mateo. ¿Compramos la caballa?You're right, Mateo. Shall we buy the mackerel?
- MateoSí, me encanta la caballa a la plancha.Yes, I love grilled mackerel.
- LucíaPerfecto, entonces llevaré esta caballa a casa.Perfect, then I will take this mackerel home.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mackerel” translations and entries caballa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries caballa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
