Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| sandía | /sanˈdia/ | feminine |
| melón de agua | /meˌlon de ˈaɡwa/ | Puerto Rico, Southeastern, Spain, masculine |
| patilla | /paˈtiʝa/ | Venezuela, feminine |
| melón | /meˈlon/ | Cuba, masculine |
The term refers to the fruit.
Which one should you use?
While sandía is the standard term, other words are used in specific areas. In Cuba, the word melón is used and in Argentina and Uruguay, melón is also used for watermelon. In Puerto Rico and parts of southeastern Spain, you will hear melón de agua. In Venezuela, the word patilla is common.
Is it said differently in some regions?
sandía is the general term, but melón de agua is used in Puerto Rico and southeastern Spain, patilla is used in Venezuela, melón is used in Cuba and in Argentina and Uruguay.
How does it change in a sentence?
sandía is a feminine noun, so it is used with the feminine article la sandía. The plural form of sandía is sandías. The word melón de agua is masculine, and patilla and sandía are feminine, while melón is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/sanˈdia/
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Me gusta la sandía.I like watermelon.This sentence shows how to express a preference for sandía.Tatoeba #1731704 by hayastan, translation #1575786 by human600
- Me gusta comer sandía.I like to eat watermelon.This sentence demonstrates how to use the verb with sandía.Tatoeba #402807 by catakaoe, translation #402802 by Hector005
- ¿Has comprado un melón?Have you bought a watermelon?This sentence shows how to ask about a purchase using the form melón.Tatoeba #493668 by Shishir, translation #52452 by CK
- Me encanta la sandía en verano.I love watermelon in the summer.
- ¿Podría traerme un pedazo de melón de agua, por favor?Could you bring me a piece of watermelon, please?
- ¡Vamos a comprar patilla para hacer jugo!Let's buy watermelon to make juice!
- ¡Qué calor! Me comería un buen trozo de sandía ahora mismo.It's so hot! I could eat a good slice of watermelon right now.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A sunny afternoon in a kitchen.
- DanielSofía, ¿quieres comer sandía?Sofía, do you want to eat watermelon?
- SofíaSí, Daniel, hace mucho calor hoy.Yes, Daniel, it is very hot today.
- DanielEsta sandía es muy refrescante.This watermelon is very refreshing.
- SofíaEs verdad, está deliciosa.It's true, it is delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “watermelon” translations and entries sandía, melón de agua, patilla, melón, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries agua, de, melón, melón de agua, patilla, sandía, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
