patata
/paˈtata/Spain, feminine
The English word potato is patata in Spanish. Wiktionary also lists papa and chuño.
Meaning: plant tuber eaten as starchy vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| patata | /paˈtata/ | Spain, feminine |
| papa | /ˈpapa/ | Canary Islands, Latin America, Southern Spain, feminine |
| chuño | /ˈt͡ʃuɲo/ | masculine |
| tunta | /tunta/ (from spelling rules) | feminine |
The term refers to the plant tuber eaten as a starchy vegetable.
Which one should you use?
The choice between patata and papa depends on whether you are in Spain or the Americas.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the standard word for potato is patata. In the Canary Islands, the term papa is used for potato. Chuño refers specifically to a traditional freeze-dried potato product common in the Andes. Tunta refers to a specific type of freeze-dried potato prepared using a different method than chuño.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈtata/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should be aware that papa can also mean 'dad' depending on context and accentuation.
Did you know?
- Because papa also means 'pope', a sentence like el papa come papas could be interpreted as 'the pope eats potatoes'.
- The term patata is believed to be a linguistic blend of papa and batata, the word for sweet potato.
- In the Andes, chuño is made by exposing potatoes to freezing night temperatures and then trampling them to remove moisture.
Examples in context
- Comimos sopa de papa.We ate potato soup.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use papa in a soup dish.Tatoeba #4505696 by cueyayotl, translation #2580869 by Hybrid
- Servite más papas fritas.Help yourself to more potato chips.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use papa in the context of potato chips.Tatoeba #1630302 by hayastan, translation #30500 by CK
- Comimos ensalada de papas.We ate a potato salad.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use papa in a salad dish.Tatoeba #2815729 by marcelostockle, translation #2580847 by Hybrid
- Me gustaría una ración de patata machacada como guarnición, por favor.I would like a serving of mashed potato as a side dish, please.
- Ayer hice una ensalada de patata deliciosa. Te la recomiendo.Yesterday, I made a delicious potato salad. I recommend it to you.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are shopping at a local market in Spain.
- DanielSofía, ¿compramos una patata?Sofía, shall we buy a potato?
- SofíaSí, esta patata parece muy buena.Yes, this potato looks very good.
- DanielVale, la pondré en la bolsa.Okay, I will put it in the bag.
- SofíaPerfecto, vamos a la caja.Perfect, let's go to the checkout.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “potato” translations and entries patata, papa, chuño, 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 chuño, papa, patata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
