res
/ˈres/
res is the Spanish word for beef.
res refers to the animal or the meat itself. In a culinary context, it is often used to denote beef as a commodity or ingredient.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun res is feminine and is typically used with the feminine article la, as in la res (the beef).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈres/
Did you know?
- In its original Latin form, res did not mean 'beef' at all, but simply meant 'thing' or 'property'.
- While res refers to the beef as a commodity, Spanish speakers use ternera specifically for veal, which is meat from a younger calf.
- Unlike the English word 'beef', which comes from Old French 'boef', the Spanish res avoids any linguistic root related to the word 'ox'.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría ordenar un filete de carne de res, por favor.I would like to order a beef steak, please.
- Para la parrillada, necesitamos carne de res y carne de cordero.For the barbecue, we need beef and lamb meat.
- La res es muy cara hoy.Beef is very expensive today.
- Prefiero la carne de res.I prefer beef.
- ¿Compraste res para la cena?Did you buy beef for dinner?
Example conversation
Lucía and Alejandro are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- LucíaAlejandro, ¿compramos carne de res?Alejandro, shall we buy some beef?
- AlejandroSí, me gustaría un bistec de res.Yes, I would like a beef steak.
- LucíaPerfecto, buscaré la mejor res disponible.Perfect, I will look for the best beef available.
- AlejandroGracias, Lucía, suena muy bien.Thanks, Lucía, that sounds great.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry res, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries res, CC BY-SA 4.0.
