membrillo
/memˈbɾiʝo/masculine
The Spanish word for quince is membrillo.
membrillo refers to the fruit known as quince. It is often used in the names of common food items, such as dulce de membrillo for quince paste or mermelada de membrillo for quince jam.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The word is a masculine noun. To refer to more than one quince, use the plural form membrillos.
How do you pronounce it?
/memˈbɾiʝo/
Did you know?
- The etymology of membrillo traces back to the Ancient Greek words for 'honey' and 'apple', literally meaning a 'honey apple'.
- The pairing of membrillo and Manchego cheese is a classic example of 'maridaje', where the extreme sweetness of the quince paste balances the saltiness of the sheep's milk cheese.
- Because the raw membrillo is too astringent and hard to eat, it is almost never eaten fresh and is nearly always cooked with sugar.
Examples in context
- El membrillo es amarillo y tiene forma de pera.The quince is yellow and has the shape of a pear.This sentence is useful for describing the color and shape of membrillo.Tatoeba #10046641 by manufrutos, translation #10027923 by Nylez
- Compré un membrillo para hacer dulce.I bought a quince to make jam.
- El olor de este membrillo es muy dulce.The smell of this quince is very sweet.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are in a kitchen preparing dessert.
- Alejandro¿Tienes un membrillo para la receta?Do you have a quince for the recipe?
- MaríaSí, lo tengo en la cesta.Yes, I have it in the basket.
- AlejandroPerfecto, vamos a cortarlo ahora.Perfect, let's cut it now.
- MaríaDe acuerdo, yo traigo el cuchillo.Okay, I'll bring the knife.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “quince” translations and entries membrillo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries membrillo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
