Which one should you use?
It is important to distinguish between different terms: mariscos refers specifically to shellfish and crustaceans, while pescado refers to the meat of a fish that has been caught or prepared for eating. In everyday conversation, people often use the combination pescado y marisco to cover both categories.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the phrase pescados y mariscos is frequently used to refer to seafood.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural mariscos is the most common way to refer to seafood in a general sense, but the singular marisco can be used to refer to the category itself or a specific type of seafood.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɾiskos/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using pescado to mean all seafood. In Spanish, pescado only refers to fish, whereas mariscos is the correct term for shellfish and crustaceans.
Did you know?
- Spanish distinguishes between pez and pescado. A pez is a living fish swimming in the water, but once it is caught to become seafood, it becomes pescado.
- In Spain, a mariscada is not just a meal of seafood, but a specific type of social feast featuring a massive platter of various mariscos shared among a group.
- In many markets, mariscos will be displayed in separate sections from pescados, even if they are both sold under the general English heading of 'seafood'.
Examples in context
- Me gustan los mariscos.I like seafood.This sentence is useful for expressing a personal preference regarding mariscos.Tatoeba #2408801 by hayastan, translation #2245940 by CK
- Le gustan los mariscos.He likes seafood.This sentence is useful for expressing someone else's preference regarding mariscos.Tatoeba #4482222 by cueyayotl, translation #2855351 by Amastan
- Todo aquí sabe a mariscos.Everything here tastes of seafood.This sentence is useful for describing the flavor of food that tastes of mariscos.Tatoeba #2343399 by marcelostockle, translation #2343400 by marcelostockle
- Me gustaría probar algunos mariscos frescos hoy.I would like to try some fresh seafood today.
- En mi ciudad natal, los frutos del mar son una delicia muy apreciada.In my hometown, seafood is a highly appreciated delicacy.
- ¿Sabes dónde puedo conseguir buen pescado y marisco por aquí?Do you know where I can get good fish and seafood around here?
- Celebremos esta ocasión especial con una buena cena de productos del mar.Let's celebrate this special occasion with a nice dinner of seafood.
- En el restaurante de la esquina, hacen una mariscada realmente espectacular.At the restaurant around the corner, they prepare a truly spectacular seafood feast.
- En la costa española, se puede disfrutar de una amplia variedad de pescados y mariscos frescos.On the Spanish coast, you can enjoy a wide variety of fresh fish and seafood.
- 14 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are looking at a restaurant menu.
- ElenaEste restaurante tiene muchos mariscos.This restaurant has a lot of seafood.
- MateoPerfecto, quiero comer mariscos hoy.Perfect, I want to eat seafood today.
- ElenaMira, los mariscos frescos son caros.Look, the fresh seafood is expensive.
- MateoNo importa, pidamos los mariscos.It doesn't matter, let's order the seafood.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
