despensa
/desˈpensa/feminine
The English phrase pantry is translated into Spanish as despensa. Wiktionary also lists alacena and alhacena.
Meaning: storage room (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| despensa | /desˈpensa/ | feminine |
| alacena | /alaˈθena/ /alaˈsena/ |
feminine |
| alhacena | /alaθena/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /alasena/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| reposte | /reˈposte/ | masculine |
| lacena | /laθena/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /lasena/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
feminine |
| pantry | /pantɾi/ (from spelling rules) | Latin America, masculine |
The term refers to a storage room or area used for holding food supplies. A colloquial and endearing way to refer to a little pantry is despensita.
Which one should you use?
While despensa refers specifically to a room or large area for food storage, alacena typically refers to a smaller storage unit like a kitchen cupboard or a built-in pantry shelf.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the masculine noun pantry is used.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both despensa and alacena are feminine nouns and require feminine articles such as la or una.
How do you pronounce it?
/desˈpensa/
Did you know?
- The word alacena has Arabic roots, specifically from the word al-ḵazīna, which refers to a treasury or a place where valuables are kept.
- Because despensa comes from the idea of 'distributing' goods, it is also used in Spanish to refer to a 'food stamp' or 'food aid' benefit.
- In certain Latin American regions, despensa can also refer to a small convenience store or a neighborhood grocery shop.
Examples in context
- La despensa está vacía.The pantry is empty.Tatoeba #4549987 by DarkHollow, translation #4546313 by mervert1
- La despensa estaba vacía.The pantry was empty.Tatoeba #11799800 by Seael, translation #5337283 by Hybrid
- Hay un ratón en la despensa.There's a mouse in the pantry.Tatoeba #8634772 by cueyayotl, translation #8634760 by Eccles17
- ¿Puede mostrarme la alacena?Can you show me the pantry?
- Voy a guardar esto en la despensitaI'm going to put this in the little pantry.
- Necesito abastecer la despensaI need to stock the pantry
- Voy a organizar la alacenaI am going to organize the pantry
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a kitchen while preparing a meal.
- Javier¿Puedes buscar arroz en la despensa?Can you look for rice in the pantry?
- LucíaSí, voy a la despensa ahora.Yes, I am going to the pantry now.
- JavierNo olvides cerrar la puerta de la despensa.Don't forget to close the pantry door.
- LucíaEstá bien, Javier.Okay, Javier.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pantry” translations and entries despensa, alacena, reposte, 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 alacena, despensa, reposte, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
