eperlano
/epeɾˈlano/
The English phrase "smelt fish" is translated into Spanish as eperlano.
The term refers to a small, slender fish that is often eaten fried.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some South American countries, such as Argentina, Uruguay and Chile, smelt fish is commonly known as pejerreyes. The term pejerreyes specifically refers to a type of fish belonging to the family Atherinidae, which includes smelt species.
How do you pronounce it?
/epeɾˈlano/
Did you know?
- The word pejerrey is a compound involving peje, a general term for fish in several Spanish dialects, and rey, meaning 'king'.
- While the word eperlano is technically correct, it is so rare in daily conversation that a waiter in a typical Spanish restaurant might not recognize it, even if they serve the fish.
- In many parts of the Spanish-speaking world, you will hear the term pejerrey used for much larger, prized freshwater fish that are nothing like the tiny, slender smelt species found in Northern Europe.
Examples in context
- El eperlano está muy fresco hoy.The smelt is very fresh today.
- Me gusta comer eperlano frito.I like to eat fried smelt.
Example conversation
At a local fish market.
- Alejandro¿Tiene eperlano de buen tamaño?Do you have good-sized smelt?
- LucíaSí, estos eperlanos son excelentes.Yes, these smelts are excellent.
- AlejandroPerfecto, me llevo un kilo.Perfect, I will take one kilo.
- LucíaMuy bien, se lo preparo ahora.Very well, I will prepare it for you now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry eperlano, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
