ternera
/teɾˈneɾa/feminine
The English word "veal" is translated into Spanish as ternera.
ternera refers to the flesh of a calf. In many contexts, especially on menus, the phrase carne de ternera is used to specify "veal meat".
Meaning: flesh of a calf (noun)
Which one should you use?
While ternera refers to the meat of a calf, it is also the word used for the calf itself.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word ternera is a feminine noun. The plural form of ternera is terneras.
How do you pronounce it?
/teɾˈneɾa/
Did you know?
- While ternera is common, some menus use ternera lechal to specify a calf that has only ever drunk mother's milk.
- The word tierno (the root of ternera) is also used idiomatically to describe someone who is naive or inexperienced.
- When ordering ternera in a traditional Spanish market, you may see it sold as ternera blanca or ternera rubia based on the breed's coat color.
Examples in context
- Mañana compraremos pavo y ternera.Tomorrow we will buy turkey and veal.This sentence shows how to use ternera when talking about buying meat.Tatoeba #10273803 by carlosalberto, translation #10273800 by carlosalberto
- ¿Tú comes ternera?Do you eat veal?This sentence uses ternera to ask about someone's dietary habits.Tatoeba #1122762 by alexmarcelo, translation #1126745 by CK
- Me gustaría probar un plato con carne de terneraI would like to try a dish with veal meat
- El ternero es delicioso cuando está bien cocinadoVeal is delicious when it's well-cooked
- Esa receta de carne de ternero se ve deliciosaThat veal meat recipe looks delicious
- ¿Te gusta la ternera?Do you like veal?
- Me gustaría un plato de ternera, por favorI would like a plate of veal, please
- La ternera es suave y tiene un sabor sutilVeal is tender and has a subtle flavor
- La ternera es muy tierna.The veal is very tender.
Example conversation
Elena and Daniel are looking at a restaurant menu.
- ElenaMira, tienen un filete de ternera.Look, they have a veal steak.
- DanielSuena bien, pero prefiero el pollo.That sounds good, but I prefer the chicken.
- ElenaYo voy a pedir la ternera.I am going to order the veal.
- DanielEstá bien, Elena, pide lo que quieras.That is fine, Elena, order whatever you want.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “veal” translations and entries ternera, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
