How do you say guava in Spanish?

Guava in Spanish is guayaba. The word comes from the indigenous Taíno language and is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

Guayabo is the guava tree. In Colombian slang, tener guayabo also means to have a hangover, an unrelated colloquial meaning.

What is ate de guayaba?

Ate de guayaba is a dense guava paste made by cooking guava pulp with sugar until firm. It is a traditional Mexican candy often eaten with cheese.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

How to Say Guava in Spanish: Guayaba

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Guayaba · noun (feminine) · gwah-YAH-bah

Guava in Spanish is guayaba, a word that originated from the Taíno language of the Caribbean. The guayaba fruit is central to Latin American cuisine, appearing in juices, pastes (ate de guayaba), jams, and desserts. The tree itself is called guayabo.

gwah-YAH-bah — three syllables. The gu- before a produces a 'gw' sound, the y is pronounced like English 'y' in yes, and the stress is on the second syllable.

El jugo de guayaba es mi favorito en el desayuno.

Guava juice is my favorite at breakfast.

Guava in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for guava, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
guayaba	guava	gwah-YAH-bah	Default, widely understood
guayabo	guava		the guava tree

How Native Speakers Use Guayaba

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

Buying fruit

Compré un kilo de guayabas en el mercado.

I bought a kilo of guavas at the market.

Guayaba takes a regular plural: guayabas.

Describing a dessert

El ate de guayaba con queso es un postre típico mexicano.

Guava paste with cheese is a typical Mexican dessert.

Ate de guayaba is a thick fruit paste popular in Mexico; in Colombia and Venezuela it is called bocadillo.

Juice

¿Me preparas un licuado de guayaba con leche?

Can you make me a guava smoothie with milk?

Guayaba is one of the most popular smoothie flavors across Latin America.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Guayaba

Spelling it guava in Spanish

Incorrect: Quiero un jugo de guava.

Correct: Quiero un jugo de guayaba.

Guava is the English spelling. In Spanish the word includes the -ya- syllable: guayaba. The English word actually derives from the Spanish.

Using guayabo for the fruit

Incorrect: Compré un guayabo en la tienda.

Correct: Compré una guayaba en la tienda.

Guayabo is the tree, not the fruit. In Colombia, guayabo is also slang for a hangover, adding further potential confusion.

Lock in Guava 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 Guayaba used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using guayaba in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear El jugo de guayaba es mi favorito en el desayuno. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Guava in Spanish

How do you say guava in Spanish?: Guava in Spanish is guayaba. The word comes from the indigenous Taíno language and is used throughout the Spanish-speaking world.
What is guayabo?: Guayabo is the guava tree. In Colombian slang, tener guayabo also means to have a hangover, an unrelated colloquial meaning.
What is ate de guayaba?: Ate de guayaba is a dense guava paste made by cooking guava pulp with sugar until firm. It is a traditional Mexican candy often eaten with cheese.