ruibarbo
/rwiˈbaɾbo/masculine
The English word rhubarb is ruibarbo in Spanish.
The term refers to any plant belonging to the genus Rheum.
Meaning: any plant of the genus Rheum (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/rwiˈbaɾbo/
Did you know?
- The word ruibarbo shares a linguistic root with 'barbarian' via the Greek βαρβαρικόν, reflecting the ancient view that the plant was an exotic stranger to the Mediterranean world.
- Because ruibarbo is not native to most Spanish-speaking countries, some people mistakenly call it apio dulce or 'sweet celery' due to the plant's appearance.
- In Spanish botanical texts, ruibarbo is often categorized under plantas medicinales because its roots were historically valued more for purgative effects than for food.
Examples in context
- El ruibarbo es una verdura.Rhubarb is a vegetable.This sentence is useful for stating that ruibarbo is a vegetable.Tatoeba #12690327 by Adelpa, translation #12690315 by Adelpa
- Me gusta el pastel de fresas y ruibarbo.I like strawberry and rhubarb pie.This sentence shows how to mention ruibarbo in the context of a strawberry pie.Tatoeba #6737775 by Dejo, translation #6737767 by Dejo
- Esta noche cenamos lechuga con ruibarbo.Tonight we're having lettuce with rhubarb.This sentence provides an example of using ruibarbo in a meal description with lettuce.Tatoeba #13939143 by Tom9358, translation #13939141 by Tom9358
- Chef María siempre agrega ruibarbo fresco a sus postres.Chef María always adds fresh rhubarb to her desserts.
- Me encanta el sabor ácido del ruibarbo en las mermeladas caseras.I love the tart flavor of rhubarb in homemade jams.
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking in a kitchen while preparing dessert.
- ElenaMateo, ¿qué ingredientes necesitamos para el postre?Mateo, what ingredients do we need for the dessert?
- MateoNecesitamos fresas y también algo de ruibarbo.We need strawberries and also some rhubarb.
- ElenaPerfecto, el ruibarbo es ideal para esta receta.Perfect, rhubarb is ideal for this recipe.
- MateoSí, será un postre muy refrescante.Yes, it will be a very refreshing dessert.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rhubarb” translations and entries ruibarbo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ruibarbo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
