Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| batata | /baˈtata/ | Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, feminine |
| boniato | /boˈnjato/ | Cuba, Spain, Uruguay, masculine |
| camote | /kaˈmote/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Central America, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, Western, masculine |
| apichu | /apit͡ʃu/ (from spelling rules) | Peru, masculine |
| chaco | /ˈt͡ʃako/ | Venezuela, masculine |
All these terms refer to the sweet potato tuber. You may encounter specific culinary phrases such as batata frita for fried sweet potatoes, puré de camote for mashed sweet potatoes, tortitas de camote for sweet potato pancakes, camotes glaseados for glazed sweet potatoes or boniatos rellenos de queso for sweet potatoes stuffed with cheese.
Which one should you use?
The choice of word depends on the region and the gender of the noun. Batata is a feminine noun, while boniato, camote, apichu and chaco are masculine nouns.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The most common term in Mexico and much of Central and South America is camote. In Spain, boniato is typically used. In the Caribbean and parts of South America, specifically Colombia and Venezuela, batata is common. In Argentina, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Venezuela, you will find batata. Camote is also used in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. In Cuba and Uruguay, boniato is used. In Peru, the term apichu is used and in Venezuela, the term chaco is also used.
How does it change in a sentence?
batata is a feminine noun. boniato, camote, apichu and chaco are masculine nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/baˈtata/
Did you know?
- The word boniato comes from the Taíno word bonyata, showing the influence of Caribbean indigenous peoples on the Spanish spoken in Spain today.
- In certain Latin American cultures, sweet potato is not just a side dish but is traditionally sold by street vendors as a warm, comforting winter snack.
Examples in context
- ¿De verdad has pedido batatas fritas para acompañar a tu hamburguesa vegana?Did you really order sweet potato fries to go with your veggie burger?This sentence is useful for practicing the use of batata in a culinary context.Tatoeba #10561465 by Shishir, translation #10561470 by DJ_Saidez
- El camote es grande.The sweet potato is big.This sentence shows how to use the masculine noun camote.Tatoeba #8956410 by nonong, translation #8977593 by dzouras
- Me encanta el camote asadoI love roasted sweet potato
- Los boniatos rellenos son deliciososStuffed sweet potatoes are delicious
- Me encanta comer batata fritaI love eating fried sweet potatoes
- Compré camote para hacer una sopaI bought sweet potatoes to make a soup
- Los boniatos al horno son una guarnición deliciosaBaked sweet potatoes are a delicious side dish
- Hice una receta de batata al horno con canela y mielI made a recipe for oven-baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon and honey
- La batata es muy dulce.The sweet potato is very sweet.
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are shopping at a local market.
- SofíaMateo, ¿podemos comprar una batata?Mateo, can we buy a sweet potato?
- MateoSí, Sofía, es muy buena.Yes, Sofía, it is very good.
- SofíaEsa batata se ve fresca.That sweet potato looks fresh.
- MateoTienes razón, vamos a llevarla.You are right, let's take it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet potato” translations and entries batata, boniato, camote, chaco, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries batata, boniato, camote, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
