botanas
everyday, Mexico
The Mexican word for "snacks" is botanas. Savory street foods are antojitos, and bagged chips and similar items are frituras.
Meaning: small foods eaten between meals (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| botanas | everyday, Mexico |
| antojitos | street food |
| frituras | chips |
In a corner shop you ask for botanas and you find chips, nuts and seeds. At a market stall you ask for antojitos and get tacos, sopes or quesadillas.
Which one should you use?
Dulces are sweets and candy, so botanas is for salty snacks. Spain uses aperitivos and tentempié, which are less common in Mexico.
How does it change in a sentence?
All three words are plural here, and each keeps its feminine -as ending: unas botanas, unas frituras.
Did you know?
- The word antojito comes from antojo, which means a craving, so an antojito is a little food you feel like having.
Examples in context
- Compramos botanas para la fiesta.We bought snacks for the party.
- Hay muchos antojitos en el mercado.There are many antojitos at the market.
- Los niños quieren frituras.The kids want chips.
Example conversation
Sisters Daniela and Mariana go shopping for snacks before a birthday party in San Luis Potosí.
- DanielaMariana, ¿qué botanas compramos?Mariana, which snacks should we buy?
- MarianaCacahuates, papas y pepitas.Peanuts, chips and pumpkin seeds.
- DanielaY unos antojitos para los niños.And some antojitos for the kids.
