Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Delicious in Spanish: Delicioso, Riquísimo, and More Ways to Praise Food
Delicioso/a · adjective · deh-lee-SYOH-soh
Delicious in Spanish is delicioso (deh-lee-SYOH-soh) for masculine nouns and deliciosa for feminine ones. In everyday conversation, native speakers often reach for riquísimo/a (the superlative of rico, literally 'super tasty') or exquisito/a for something truly refined. All three agree in gender and number with the noun they describe.
deh-lee-SYOH-soh — four syllables, stress on the third. The c before i sounds like an s in Latin America and like a th in most of Spain. Riquísimo is ree-KEE-see-moh.
Este pastel de chocolate está delicioso.
This chocolate cake is delicious.
Delicious in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for delicious, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| delicioso/a | delicious | deh-lee-SYOH-soh | Default, widely understood |
| riquísimo/a | delicious | colloquial superlative (universal) | |
| exquisito/a | delicious | refined / formal register |
How Native Speakers Use Delicioso/a
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Describing a dish
La paella que preparaste está riquísima.
The paella you made is absolutely delicious.
Riquísima agrees with paella (feminine). Using estar here emphasizes the current state / taste experience rather than an inherent quality.
Complimenting a cook
Todo estuvo delicioso, gracias por la cena.
Everything was delicious, thanks for dinner.
When 'todo' is the subject, the adjective stays masculine singular. This is a natural way to compliment a host.
Refined dining
El postre era exquisito, con notas de vainilla y cardamomo.
The dessert was exquisite, with notes of vanilla and cardamom.
Exquisito carries a more formal, elevated tone — suitable for restaurant reviews or describing gourmet food.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Delicioso/a
Forgetting gender agreement
Incorrect: La sopa está delicioso.
Correct: La sopa está deliciosa.
Sopa is feminine, so the adjective must match: deliciosa. Spanish adjectives ending in -o change to -a for feminine nouns.
Using ser instead of estar for food
Incorrect: Esta pizza es deliciosa. (describing a specific plate just served)
Correct: Esta pizza está deliciosa.
When commenting on how something tastes right now, use estar. Ser delicioso would imply the pizza is inherently delicious as a defining trait — possible but less natural for a plate in front of you.
Lock in Delicious Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Delicioso/a used by native speakers
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Common Questions About Delicious in Spanish
- How do you say delicious in Spanish?
- Delicious is delicioso (masculine) or deliciosa (feminine). In casual speech, riquísimo/a is arguably more common. Exquisito/a works for a more refined or formal tone.
- What's the difference between delicioso and riquísimo?
- Both mean delicious, but riquísimo is the colloquial go-to in most of Latin America and Spain. It's the superlative of rico ('tasty'). Delicioso is slightly more formal but still perfectly natural. Most natives use them interchangeably.
- Do I use ser or estar with delicioso?
- Use estar when reacting to food you're eating right now: 'Está delicioso.' Use ser to make a general claim about something: 'El mango es delicioso' (mangoes are delicious in general). For a plate in front of you, estar is almost always the right call.