requesón
/rekeˈson/masculine
The English phrase ricotta is translated into Spanish as requesón or ricota.
Meaning: Italian whey cheese (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| requesón | /rekeˈson/ | masculine |
| ricota | /riˈkota/ | Argentina, Uruguay, Venezuela, feminine |
Both terms refer to the Italian whey cheese known as ricotta.
Which one should you use?
While requesón is the standard term used in most of the Spanish-speaking world, ricota is the preferred term in Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, requesón is the term commonly used for ricotta. In Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela, the word ricota is used. In Argentina, people tend to use ricota without the queso qualifier.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form requesón is a masculine noun and requires masculine articles like el. The form ricota is a feminine noun and requires feminine articles like la.
How do you pronounce it?
/rekeˈson/
Did you know?
- The word ricota is a direct loanword from Italian, whereas requesón is a native Spanish construction.
- In certain Spanish-speaking regions, the word requesón is a broad category for any fresh whey cheese, even if it was not made using the traditional Italian method.
- While most Spanish cheese names are masculine, the Italian loanword ricota is feminine and must be paired with la.
Examples in context
- Voy a preparar una lasaña con queso ricotta.I'm going to make a lasagna with ricotta cheese.
- Me gustaría una pizza con extra requesón, por favor.I would like a pizza with extra ricotta, please.
- ¿Puedes conseguirme un poco de ricota para el postre?Can you get me some ricotta for dessert?
- el requesón está muy fresco.The ricotta is very fresh.
- compré un bote de requesón.I bought a tub of ricotta.
- necesito requesón para la lasaña.I need ricotta for the lasagna.
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are deciding what to put in their pasta.
- ElenaJavier, ¿tenemos requesón para la pasta?Javier, do we have ricotta for the pasta?
- JavierNo, Elena, se terminó ayer.No, Elena, it ran out yesterday.
- ElenaEntonces iré a comprar un poco.Then I will go buy some.
- JavierTrae el requesón más fresco que encuentres.Bring the freshest ricotta you can find.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ricotta” translations and entries requesón, ricota, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries requesón, ricota, CC BY-SA 4.0.
