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 starchy plant tuber used as a vegetable in cooking.
Which one should you use?
While papa is the standard term in most of Latin America, the term patata is primarily used in Spain.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, people typically use patata. In Latin America, papa is the standard and it is also the common term in Venezuela. In the Canary Islands and Southern Spain, papa is used. Additionally, in Andean cuisine, chuño refers specifically to a type of freeze-dried potato, while tunta is another term for a specific type of freeze-dried potato.
How does it change in a sentence?
The forms patata and papa are feminine nouns. The form chuño is a masculine noun, and tunta is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈpapa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with the accent when speaking: papa (potato) is a different word from papá (father).
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Comimos sopa de papa.We ate potato soup.This sentence is useful for practicing the form papa in the context of soup.Tatoeba #4505696 by cueyayotl, translation #2580869 by Hybrid
- Servite más papas fritas.Help yourself to more potato chips.This sentence is useful for practicing the plural form of papa in the context of fries.Tatoeba #1630302 by hayastan, translation #30500 by CK
- Comimos ensalada de papas.We ate a potato salad.This sentence is useful for practicing the plural form of papa in the context of salad.Tatoeba #2815729 by marcelostockle, translation #2580847 by Hybrid
- ¿Puedes cortar las papas en rodajas?Can you slice the potatoes?
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are in the kitchen preparing lunch.
- ElenaJavier, ¿tienes una papa para la sopa?Javier, do you have a potato for the soup?
- JavierSí, Elena, la tengo en la cesta.Yes, Elena, I have it in the basket.
- ElenaPerfecto, vamos a pelarla ahora.Perfect, let's peel it now.
- JavierYo me encargo de cortarla.I'll take care of cutting it.
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.
