How to Check an Avocado for Bruises in Spanish
Ask politely in Latin American Spanish whether an avocado is bruised, squeeze it gently, and request a better one at the market.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you pick up an avocado at a market stall, you often want to know whether it is bruised before you buy it. In Spanish, the key question is ¿Está golpeado?, which asks whether the fruit has been knocked or damaged. You can also ask ¿Tiene algún moretón?, which asks whether it has a visible bruise. This lesson gives you polite, careful phrases for checking avocados, squeezing them gently, and asking for a better one. The focus is on real market interaction, not on memorizing a long list of fruit names. You will practice short questions that staff can answer quickly, and you will learn how to respond if the avocado is not good.
By the end, you can…
- ask whether an avocado is bruised using ¿Está golpeado?
- ask whether an avocado has a bruise using ¿Tiene algún moretón?
- gently squeeze an avocado and ask for a better one politely
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
¿Está golpeado?
Is it bruised?
es-TAH gol-peh-AH-doh
Use this when you are holding one avocado and want to know if it has been knocked or damaged.
¿Tiene algún moretón?
Does it have a bruise?
TYEH-neh al-GOON mo-reh-TOHN
Use this when you are looking for a visible dark spot or soft mark on the skin.
¿Puedo apretarlo un poquito?
Can I squeeze it a little?
PWEH-doh ah-preh-TAR-loh oon poh-KEE-toh
Ask this before pressing the avocado gently with your fingers.
¿Me da uno que no esté golpeado?
Can you give me one that is not bruised?
meh dah OO-noh keh noh es-TEH gol-peh-AH-doh
Use this when the first avocado is bruised and you want a better one.
¿Este está bien?
Is this one okay?
ES-teh es-TAH byehn
A simple check when you are not sure whether the avocado is good enough to buy.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The pattern ¿Está + adjective? asks about the current condition of one item. ¿Está golpeado? means 'Is it bruised?' and ¿Está maduro? means 'Is it ripe?' If you are asking about having a bruise, use ¿Tiene algún moretón? The verb tiene means 'it has,' and algún means 'some' or 'any' before a masculine noun. Moretón is a masculine noun, so algún agrees with it. For a better one, say ¿Me da uno que no esté golpeado? Here uno means 'one' and que no esté golpeado means 'that is not bruised.'
When to use it
Use ¿Está golpeado? when you already have one avocado in your hand and want a quick yes-or-no answer. Use ¿Tiene algún moretón? when you are inspecting the skin for a dark or soft spot. Use ¿Puedo apretarlo un poquito? before you squeeze, because staff may prefer that you ask first. If the avocado is bruised, say ¿Me da uno que no esté golpeado? to ask for another one. Keep your tone polite and calm; market staff are used to customers checking fruit, but a gentle request works better than a complaint.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Buenos días, ¿me ayuda con un aguacate?
Good morning, can you help me with an avocado?BWEH-nos DEE-as, meh ah-YOO-dah kon oon ah-gwah-KAH-tehClaro, aquí tiene varios. ¿Busca uno maduro?
Of course, here you have several. Are you looking for a ripe one?KLAH-roh, ah-KEE TYEH-neh BAH-ryos. BOOS-kah OO-noh mah-DOO-rohSí, pero ¿este está golpeado? ¿Puedo apretarlo un poquito?
Yes, but is this one bruised? Can I squeeze it a little?see, PEH-roh ES-teh es-TAH gol-peh-AH-doh? PWEH-doh ah-preh-TAR-loh oon poh-KEE-tohEse tiene un moretón. ¿Me da uno que no esté golpeado?
That one has a bruise. Can you give me one that is not bruised?EH-seh TYEH-neh oon mo-reh-TOHN. meh dah OO-noh keh noh es-TEH gol-peh-AH-dohA little context goes a long way
In many Latin American markets, it is normal to inspect fruit before buying, but asking first before squeezing is seen as careful and respectful. The word aguacate is common in Mexico, Central America, and much of South America; in Chile and Argentina, palta is more common. Use the local word you hear around you.
One thing to watch for
Saying ¿Está un moretón? to mean 'Does it have a bruise?'
Try this instead: Use ¿Tiene algún moretón? because the avocado 'has' the bruise. Está describes a condition, as in ¿Está golpeado? For example, ¿Tiene algún moretón? is correct, while ¿Está un moretón? is not.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1You are holding one avocado and want to ask if it is bruised. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
¿Está golpeado?
This asks about the condition of the avocado. You could also ask ¿Tiene algún moretón? if you are looking for a visible bruise.
2You want to ask permission to squeeze the avocado gently. What phrase do you use?
Show a sample answer
¿Puedo apretarlo un poquito?
This politely asks if you can squeeze it a little. Apretarlo means 'to squeeze it,' and un poquito softens the request.
3The avocado has a bruise and you want a different one. What do you say?
Show a sample answer
¿Me da uno que no esté golpeado?
This asks for one that is not bruised. You could also say ¿Me da otro que no esté golpeado? if you want to emphasize 'another one.'
Ask ¿Está golpeado? or ¿Tiene algún moretón? before buying, squeeze gently only after asking, and request a better one with ¿Me da uno que no esté golpeado?
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