di patata
/di patata/from spelling rules
To say cheese in Spanish, use di patata.
This phrase is used to elicit a smile from someone for a photograph. Spanish speakers often use other words like potato or whisky to prompt the same reaction or simply use the command Sonríe to mean smile.
Meaning: elicit a smile from someone for a photograph (verb)
Which one should you use?
If you are addressing a group of people, you should use the plural form digan patata. For a more formal tone when speaking to one person, you can use Diga queso.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, it is common to use the phrase di patata instead of using the word for cheese. In many Latin American countries, you might hear Di whisky instead of 'Say cheese'.
How do you pronounce it?
/di patata/
Did you know?
- The word patata is a linguistic hybrid, blending the word papa with the Taíno word batata.
- The word patata is primarily used in Spain, whereas papa is the standard word for potato across Latin America.
- Using diga queso is understood but can sound unnatural or overly formal because it mimics the English 'say cheese' too closely.
Examples in context
- Di patata.Say cheese.This example shows how to use di patata to prompt a smile.Tatoeba #1852298 by Shishir, translation #1852269 by CK
- ¡Sonríe!Smile!
- Por favor, diga queso para la foto grupal.Please say cheese for the group photo.
- ¡Di patata para la foto!Say cheese for the photo!
Example conversation
Sofía is taking a photo of Javier at a party.
- Sofía¡Javier, mira a la cámara!Javier, look at the camera!
- JavierNo sé cómo posar.I don't know how to pose.
- SofíaNo te preocupes, solo di patata.Don't worry, just say cheese.
- Javier¡Patata!Cheese!
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries di, patata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
