Restaurants are growing more multilingual everyday. Hard working immigrants from throughout Latin America are respected and appreciated members of the restaurant world. The language barrier can be daunting, but overcoming it will help you appreciate some of the most interesting people in your restaurant. Learning enough Spanish to be able to communicate effectively is often a first step towards a good working relationship and friendship. I can’t teach you the language in a few blog posts, but I can help with some of the basic nouns you need to communicate in restaurants.
The problem with the online translators is that they tend to be too literal. So I consulted my good friend Senor Espaza for his expertise. Here are some basic words to know:
Table | Mesa |
Chair | Silla |
Floor | Piso |
Ice | Hielo (pronounced “yellowâ€) |
Glasses | Vasos |
Towel | Toalla |
Napkins | Servietas |
Plates | Placas |
Bowl | Cuenco |
Fork | Tenedor |
Knife | Cuchillo |
Spoon | Cuchara |
Steak Knife | Bistec cuchillo |
Soup Spoon | Cuchara sopera |
Salt | Sal |
Pepper | Pimienta |
Sugar | Azúcar |
Steak | Bisteca |
Beef | Carne |
Chicken | Pollo |
Pork | Puerco |
Fish | Pescado |
Lettuce | Lechuga |
Tomato | Tomate |
Onion | Cebolla |
Pickle | Escabeche |
Cheese | Queso |
Bread | Pan |
Bun | Bollo |
Rare | Raro |
Medium Rare | Medio hecho |
Medium | Medio |
Medium Well | Medio Bueno |
Well | Bien |
Clean | Limpio |
Dirty | Sucio |
Wash | Llevar |
Dry | Seco |
Wet | Mojado |
Big | Grande |
Little | Poco |
Good | Bueno |
Bad | Malo |
Happy | Feliz |
Sad | Triste |
Tired | Cansado |
Bored | Aburrido |
Please | Por favor, |
Thank You | Gracias |
I’m sorry | Lo siento |
Excuse Me | Compra miso |
Behind You | Detrás |
Help | Ayuda |
Manager | Gerente (or Jefe for “Bossâ€) |
Hostess | Anfitriona |
Cook | Cocinar |
In future posts I will be adding some more conversational Spanish. Feel free to make any requests in the comments section. As always the best way to stay up to date on this blog is to join the facebook fanpage.
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