Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fideo | /fiˈdeo/ | masculine |
| tallarín | /taʝaˈɾin/ | masculine |
| aletría | /aleˈtɾia/ | feminine |
Spanish uses different terms depending on the shape and type of the noodle. You can use fideo for thin, cylindrical noodles, such as those typically found in a soup. For example, sopa de fideos is the standard way to say noodle soup. You can also refer to specific dishes like fideos con salsa de tomate (noodles with tomato sauce), fideos con pesto (noodles with pesto) or fideos con salsa de queso (noodles with cheese sauce). Specialized noodles like udon are called fideos udon.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the shape of the pasta. Use fideo for thin, cylindrical noodles. Use tallarín to refer to flat, ribbon-like noodles similar to tagliatelle. Note that spaghetti is specifically translated as espaguetis.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Latin America, you may hear the terms pastas or pastitas used instead of tallarines.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the food in general or as a specific dish, the plural form fideos is most commonly used.
How do you pronounce it?
/fiˈdeo/
Did you know?
- The word fideo does not come from Latin, but entered Spanish via Mozarabic from the Andalusian Arabic word fidāwiš.
- In Spain, fideos are often used in a way similar to rice in a 'paella' style dish, rather than just in soups.
- While fideo refers to the food, the word can also be used metaphorically in some Spanish-speaking regions to describe something very thin or skinny.
Examples in context
- Tom se comió una sopa de fideos.Tom had a noodle soup.This sentence shows how to use fideo to describe a noodle soup.Tatoeba #11244538 by DJ_Saidez, translation #1485294 by Spamster
- Tienes razón. La sopa de fideos es un poco cara aquí.You're right. The noodle broth here is a bit expensive.This sentence demonstrates how to use fideo when talking about the cost of noodle broth.Tatoeba #965112 by hundo, translation #430853 by FeuDRenais
- Me encanta la sopa de fideos.I love noodle soup.
- ¿Quieres comer pasta para la cena?Do you want to eat noodles for dinner?
- Preparé tallarines con salsa de tomate.I made noodles with tomato sauce.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Alejandro are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- Sofía¿Quieres comer fideo con mantequilla hoy?Do you want to eat noodles with butter today?
- AlejandroMe parece bien, Sofía.That sounds good to me, Sofía.
- SofíaVoy a cocinar el fideo ahora mismo.I am going to cook the noodles right now.
- AlejandroGracias, yo pongo la mesa.Thanks, I will set the table.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “noodle” translations and entries fideo, tallarín, aletría, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries aletría, fideo, tallarín, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
