plato principal
/plato pɾinθipal/from spelling rulesmasculine
The English phrase 'main course' is translated into Spanish as plato principal.
plato principal is used to refer to the main dish of a meal.
Meaning: main dish of a meal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of plato, meaning 'dish' and principal, meaning 'main' or 'principal'.
Which one should you use?
While plato principal is a direct translation, a very common alternative used to denote the most substantial part of a meal is plato fuerte. Additionally, if you are referring to a meal where the main course is the only dish served, you might use plato único.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, particularly in Mexico, plato fuerte is a formal way to refer to the main course.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must change to their plural forms, resulting in platos principales.
How do you pronounce it?
/plato pɾinθipal/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- El plato principal de hoy es el pollo asadoThe main course today is roast chicken
- Vamos a comer el plato de fondo en el restaurante de mi tíaWe are going to eat the main course at my aunt's restaurant
- El plato principal es de carne.The main course is meat.
- ¿Cuál es el plato principal de hoy?What is today's main course?
- No me gustó mucho el plato principal.I didn't much like the main course.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are looking at a menu in a restaurant.
- MateoLucía, ¿ya sabes cuál es tu plato principal?Lucía, do you know what your main course is yet?
- LucíaCreo que voy a pedir la pasta.I think I'm going to order the pasta.
- MateoBuena elección, suena muy rico.Good choice, it sounds very delicious.
- LucíaGracias, Mateo. ¿Y tú qué pedirás?Thanks, Mateo. And what will you order?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “main course” translations and entries plato principal, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries plato, principal, CC BY-SA 4.0.
