Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Carrot in Spanish: Zanahoria
Zanahoria · noun · sah-nah-OH-ree-ah
The Spanish word for 'carrot' is zanahoria, a feminine noun of Arabic origin (from the Arabic safunariyya). Unlike many food items that have regional variants across the Spanish-speaking world, zanahoria is the universal and only standard term for this root vegetable. It appears in recipes, supermarket labels, and everyday conversation from Madrid to Mexico City to Buenos Aires.
Zanahoria is pronounced sah-nah-OH-ree-ah (or thah-nah-OH-ree-ah in parts of Spain where the 'z' is pronounced with a 'th' sound). The stress falls on the third syllable, 'ho.' With five syllables, it is longer than many basic food words, so practice breaking it down: za-na-ho-ri-a.
Ralla la zanahoria y agrégala a la ensalada.
Grate the carrot and add it to the salad.
Carrot in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for carrot, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| zanahoria | carrot | sah-nah-OH-ree-ah | Default, widely understood |
| zanahoria baby | carrot | baby carrots, borrowed English adjective |
How Native Speakers Use Zanahoria
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
In a recipe
Corta dos zanahorias en rodajas finas y saltéalas con mantequilla.
Cut two carrots into thin slices and sauté them in butter.
The plural is zanahorias — simply add an 's' to the end.
At a juice bar
Un jugo de zanahoria con naranja y jengibre, por favor.
A carrot juice with orange and ginger, please.
Carrot juice (jugo de zanahoria) is a popular fresh drink across Latin America.
Describing color or appearance
Tiene el pelo de un tono anaranjado, casi color zanahoria.
Her hair is an orange tone, almost carrot-colored.
Like English, Spanish occasionally uses zanahoria as a color reference for a vivid reddish-orange.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Zanahoria
Misspelling zanahoria
Incorrect: Compré tres sanahorias en el mercado.
Correct: Compré tres zanahorias en el mercado.
The word begins with a 'z,' not an 's.' Because the 'z' and 's' sound identical in most Latin American dialects, this spelling mistake is extremely common but always marked wrong in writing.
Wrong gender agreement
Incorrect: El zanahoria está muy fresco.
Correct: La zanahoria está muy fresca.
Zanahoria is a feminine noun, so it takes the article la and feminine adjectives: fresca, not fresco.
Lock in Carrot Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
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See Zanahoria used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Carrot in Spanish
- Why is zanahoria so hard to spell?
- Zanahoria comes from Arabic, which is why it does not follow typical Latin-based Spanish spelling patterns. The 'z' at the start and the 'h' in the middle are remnants of its Arabic etymology. Many native Spanish speakers also struggle with its spelling.
- Are there any other words for carrot in Spanish?
- Unlike fruits such as banana (which has multiple names across regions), zanahoria is the sole standard word for carrot in every Spanish-speaking country. You may occasionally hear azanoria in very old texts, but this archaic form is not used today.
- How do you say 'carrot cake' in Spanish?
- Carrot cake is pastel de zanahoria or torta de zanahoria, depending on the country. In Spain, you might also hear tarta de zanahoria. The word for the cake itself varies regionally, but zanahoria stays the same.