How do you say 'turnip' in Spanish?

The word is 'nabo,' a straightforward masculine noun. It refers to the root vegetable commonly used in stews, soups, and side dishes in both Spanish and Latin American cooking.

Are turnips common in Spanish cuisine?

Turnips play a significant role in traditional Spanish cooking, particularly in the cuisine of Galicia and other northern regions. The famous 'caldo gallego' relies on turnips and their greens ('grelos') as essential ingredients.

What are 'grelos' in relation to turnips?

'Grelos' are the leafy green tops of turnip plants, widely consumed in Galician cuisine. They are sautéed, added to soups, or served alongside meats, and they provide a slightly bitter, nutritious complement to the milder turnip root.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Turnip in Spanish: Nabo

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

Nabo · noun · NAH-boh

The English word 'turnip' translates to 'nabo' in Spanish. The turnip is a root vegetable used in soups, stews, and side dishes across Spanish-speaking cuisines, particularly in traditional Spanish and South American cooking.

NAH-boh

Añadí nabos al guiso para darle más sabor.

I added turnips to the stew to give it more flavor.

How Native Speakers Use Nabo

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

Cooking at home

Pela los nabos y córtalos en cubos antes de hervirlos.

Peel the turnips and cut them into cubes before boiling them.

Kitchen instruction for preparing turnips.

At the grocery store

Los nabos están junto a las zanahorias en la sección de verduras.

The turnips are next to the carrots in the vegetable section.

Navigating a grocery store produce aisle.

Traditional recipe

Mi abuela preparaba un caldo gallego con nabos y grelos.

My grandmother used to make a Galician broth with turnips and turnip greens.

Referencing a classic Spanish regional dish.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Nabo

Confusing with rábano

Incorrect: El nabo es rojo y pequeño.

Correct: El rábano es rojo y pequeño.

'Nabo' (turnip) is a large white or purple root vegetable. The small red root vegetable is a 'rábano' (radish). They are entirely different vegetables.

Plural form

Incorrect: Compré tres nabo en el mercado.

Correct: Compré tres nabos en el mercado.

Like most Spanish nouns ending in a consonant-vowel pattern, 'nabo' forms its plural by adding '-s': 'nabos.' Forgetting the plural ending is a common oversight.

Lock in Turnip 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 Nabo used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using nabo in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Añadí nabos al guiso para darle más sabor. 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 Turnip in Spanish

How do you say 'turnip' in Spanish?: The word is 'nabo,' a straightforward masculine noun. It refers to the root vegetable commonly used in stews, soups, and side dishes in both Spanish and Latin American cooking.
Are turnips common in Spanish cuisine?: Turnips play a significant role in traditional Spanish cooking, particularly in the cuisine of Galicia and other northern regions. The famous 'caldo gallego' relies on turnips and their greens ('grelos') as essential ingredients.
What are 'grelos' in relation to turnips?: 'Grelos' are the leafy green tops of turnip plants, widely consumed in Galician cuisine. They are sautéed, added to soups, or served alongside meats, and they provide a slightly bitter, nutritious complement to the milder turnip root.