salsa roja
/salsa ɾoxa/from spelling rules
The English phrase "red sauce" is salsa roja in Spanish.
salsa roja is used to describe a condiment or cooking ingredient made primarily from tomatoes. In many Spanish-speaking contexts, salsa roja specifically refers to a spicy tomato-based sauce used in Mexican cuisine.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of salsa (sauce) and roja (red).
How does it change in a sentence?
Because salsa is a feminine noun, the adjective must be the feminine form roja rather than the masculine rojo. To make the phrase plural, both the noun and the adjective must take the plural ending: salsas rojas.
How do you pronounce it?
/salsa ɾoxa/
Did you know?
- The word salsa comes from the Latin word for 'salted', as early sauces were primarily used to preserve food with salt.
- While salsa roja is tomato-based, its counterpart salsa verde is often made from tomatillos, which are a distinct fruit from the red tomato.
- In some regions, salsa roja does not contain any tomatoes at all and is instead made from red chiles.
Examples in context
- Me encanta la pasta con salsa roja.I love pasta with red sauce.
- La salsa roja está muy picante.The red sauce is very spicy.
- Necesito comprar salsa roja para la pasta.I need to buy red sauce for the pasta.
- ¿Prefieres la salsa roja o la verde?Do you prefer red sauce or green sauce?
Example conversation
Alejandro and Lucía are preparing a dinner together in the kitchen.
- Alejandro¿Tienes la salsa roja para los huevos?Do you have the red sauce for the eggs?
- LucíaSí, la salsa roja está en la nevera.Yes, the red sauce is in the fridge.
- AlejandroPerfecto, voy a buscarla ahora.Perfect, I am going to look for it now.
- LucíaGracias, Alejandro.Thank you, Alejandro.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries roja, salsa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
