ensalada
/ensaˈlada/feminine
The Spanish word for salad is ensalada.
The term refers to the food dish consisting of mixed vegetables or other ingredients.
Meaning: food (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the term Ensaladilla is commonly used to refer to a specific variation of salad typically made with potatoes, peas, carrots and mayonnaise. In Mexico and some Central American countries, the informal term Ensaladón is used to describe a big or abundant salad.
How does it change in a sentence?
As ensalada is a feminine noun, you must use the feminine article una instead of the masculine uno when saying una ensalada (a salad). The plural form of the word is las ensaladas.
How do you pronounce it?
/ensaˈlada/
Did you know?
- The term ensalada is a close linguistic relative to the English word 'salary', as both words originate from the Latin root for 'salt', which was once used as a form of payment.
- In some Spanish-speaking cultures, the word ensalada can be used metaphorically to describe a chaotic or messy situation, similar to the English phrase 'a mixed bag'.
- The word ensalada shares its roots with the English word 'salt'. It originates from the Latin *salata*, which refers to something seasoned with salt.
Examples in context
- No me gusta la ensalada.I don't like salad.This sentence is useful for expressing a dislike of ensalada.Tatoeba #9943309 by Shishir, translation #3943630 by Lebensfreude
- Laurie comió la ensalada.Laurie ate the salad.This sentence is useful for describing someone who ate ensalada.Tatoeba #2500150 by hayastan, translation #1771772 by CN
- Viene con sopa o ensalada.It comes with soup or salad.This sentence is useful for stating that a meal comes with soup or ensalada.Tatoeba #1731687 by marcelostockle, translation #52342 by Swift
- Me gustaría una ensalada mixta, por favor.I would like a mixed salad, please.
- ¿Quieres comer una ensalada verde?Do you want to eat a green salad?
- La ensaladilla rusa es una de las tapas más populares en España.Russian salad is one of the most popular tapas in Spain.
- ¡Voy a preparar un ensaladón de pollo para la fiesta!I'm going to make a big chicken salad for the party!
- 64 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are deciding what to order at a restaurant.
- AlejandroLa ensalada es muy grande.The salad is very large.
- María¿Quieres compartir la ensalada?Do you want to share the salad?
- AlejandroSí, me encanta esa ensalada.Yes, I love that salad.
- MaríaPerfecto, la pediremos ahora.Perfect, we will order it now.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “salad” translations and entries ensalada, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ensalada, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
