carne o pescado
/kaɾne o peskado/from spelling rules
The phrase "meat or fish" in Spanish is carne o pescado.
A choice between meat and fish, typically used when selecting a main course for a meal.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of carne (meat), o (or) and pescado (fish).
Which one should you use?
In this context, pescado refers specifically to fish that has been caught and is intended for food, as opposed to pez, which refers to live fish in the water.
How does it change in a sentence?
The conjunction o (or) does not change to u in this phrase because the following word pescado begins with a consonant. Note that the noun carne is feminine.
Did you know?
- The word carne shares a common ancestor with the English word 'carnival', which originally referred to a feast of meat before the fasting period of Lent.
- The word pescado is actually a past participle from the Latin word 'piscor', meaning 'to fish'. It essentially describes the fish as something that 'has been fished'.
- In Spanish, the word carne can be used as a synonym for 'skin' or 'flesh' when describing a physical sensation, such as when something touches the carne of your arm.
Examples in context
- ¿Desea carne o pescado?Would you like meat or fish?This sentence is useful for asking if someone would like meat or fish.Tatoeba #2225081 by marcelostockle, translation #64136 by Eldad
- ¿Carne o pescado?Meat or fish?This sentence is useful for a short way to ask meat or fish?Tatoeba #1173653 by Shishir, translation #4097549 by hickeety
- ¿Qué prefieres? ¿Carne o pescado?Which do you prefer, meat or fish?This sentence is useful for asking which of the two options someone prefers.Tatoeba #941905 by Steicxi, translation #4459926 by XenoKat
- En el asado serviremos diferentes tipos de carne.At the barbecue, we will serve different types of meat.
- La pesca sostenible ayuda a mantener el equilibrio de los ecosistemas acuáticos y nos brinda pescado fresco.Sustainable fishing helps maintain the balance of aquatic ecosystems and provides us with fresh fish.
Example conversation
A waiter takes an order at a restaurant.
- MateoPara el plato principal, ¿prefiere carne o pescado?For the main course, do you prefer meat or fish?
- MaríaPrefiero pescado, por favor.I prefer fish, please.
- MateoMuy bien, ¿y para su acompañamiento?Very well, and for your side dish?
- MaríaSolo una ensalada fresca.Just a fresh salad.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries carne, o, pescado, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
