patata
/paˈtata/Spain, feminine
The English phrase potato is translated into Spanish as patata. 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 term patata is the standard way to say potato in Spain, while the term papa is the standard way to say potato in Latin America.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, use patata. In Latin America and the Canary Islands, as well as in Southern Spain, use papa. In the Andean region, chuño refers specifically to a type of freeze-dried potato and tunta refers to a specific type of freeze-dried potato used in Andean cuisine.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈtata/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers should be aware that papa can also mean 'dad' in many Spanish-speaking regions, though context usually clarifies the meaning.
Did you know?
- Peru has over 3,000 native varieties of papa, including colors like purple, red and blue.
- The word papa in Spanish is a homonym for the 'Pope', as both words share the same spelling and pronunciation.
- The Spanish word patata actually traces its roots back to the Taíno language via the word 'batata', which is the origin of the English 'sweet potato'.
Examples in context
- Comimos sopa de papa.We ate potato soup.This sentence shows the use of 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 shows the use of 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 shows the use of papa in the context of salad.Tatoeba #2815729 by marcelostockle, translation #2580847 by Hybrid
- Me gustaría una ensalada de patata, por favor.I would like a potato salad, please.
- Las patatas son una fuente excelente de energía.Potatoes are an excellent source of energy.
- ¡Quiero comer papas fritas ahora mismo!I want to eat French fries right now!
- La tortilla de papa es mi plato favorito.Potato omelette is my favorite dish.
- 27 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are at a local market in Spain.
- SofíaDaniel, ¿compramos una patata para la cena?Daniel, shall we buy a potato for dinner?
- DanielSí, pero necesitamos muchas para el guiso.Yes, but we need many for the stew.
- SofíaEsta patata parece muy buena y fresca.This potato looks very good and fresh.
- DanielTienes razón, Sofía, vamos a llevarla.You are right, Sofía, let's take 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.
