How to Say Food Is Sweet, Salty, Sour, Bitter, or Spicy in Spanish
Learn to describe how food tastes in Latin American Spanish using 'Esto es...' and 'Sabe a...', focusing on inherent flavor rather than personal preference.
By MarcusFood & cafés · Yapr Learn
When you want to describe what a food is like, not whether you like it, Spanish uses two handy patterns: Esto es... (This is...) followed by a flavor adjective, and Sabe a... (It tastes like...). These describe the food itself, so they work even if you personally dislike the taste. In this lesson you will learn five basic flavors and how to use them in everyday sentences.
By the end, you can…
- name five basic flavors in Spanish: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and spicy.
- use 'Esto es...' to describe a food's inherent flavor.
- use 'Sabe a...' to say what a food tastes like.
- distinguish describing a flavor from saying whether I like it.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Esto es dulce.
This is sweet.
EHS-toh ehs DOOL-seh
Use for foods like fruit, cake, or sweet drinks. Describes the food, not your opinion.
Esto es salado.
This is salty.
EHS-toh ehs sah-LAH-doh
Use for snacks, cheese, or dishes with too much salt. In some regions, 'salado' can also mean 'unlucky,' but for food it means salty.
Esto es ácido.
This is sour.
EHS-toh ehs AH-see-doh
Common in Latin America for lemons, limes, and sour candy. In Spain, 'agrio' is more common for sour.
Esto es amargo.
This is bitter.
EHS-toh ehs ah-MAR-goh
Use for coffee, dark chocolate, or bitter greens.
Es picante.
It is spicy.
ehs pee-KAHN-teh
Use 'Es picante' to say a food is spicy. 'Picante' refers to spicy heat, not strong seasoning. Note that 'Sabe a...' is followed by a noun (a flavor or food), not an adjective: 'Sabe a chile' (It tastes like chili).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
Use 'Esto es + flavor adjective' to describe the food itself: 'Esto es dulce' (This is sweet), 'Esto es salado' (This is salty). Use 'Sabe a + noun' to say what a food tastes like: 'Sabe a chocolate' (It tastes like chocolate), 'Sabe a limón' (It tastes like lemon). The verb 'sabe' comes from 'saber' and here means 'tastes.' Adjectives like 'dulce' and 'salado' do not change for gender when describing food in this pattern, but they do change for number: 'Estos son dulces' (These are sweet).
When to use it
Use these phrases when you want to describe a food's inherent quality, not your personal liking. For example, say 'Esto es amargo' about black coffee even if you love it. To express preference, use 'Me gusta' (I like it) or 'No me gusta' (I don't like it). Compare: 'Esto es ácido' (This is sour) describes the lime; 'Me gusta' (I like it) describes you. Keep them separate to avoid confusion.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Qué tal está la sopa?
How is the soup?keh tahl ehs-TAH lah SOH-pahEstá salada. Sabe a sal.
It's salty. It tastes like salt.ehs-TAH sah-LAH-dah. SAH-beh ah sahl¿Y el postre?
And the dessert?ee ehl POHS-trehEstá dulce. Sabe a chocolate.
It's sweet. It tastes like chocolate.ehs-TAH DOOL-seh. SAH-beh ah choh-koh-LAH-tehA little context goes a long way
In Latin America, 'picante' describes spicy heat, while 'condimentado' means heavily seasoned but not necessarily hot. In Mexico, 'picante' is common; in some Andean regions, 'ají' refers to chili heat. Use 'Esto es...' for neutral description; it does not imply you like or dislike the food.
One thing to watch for
Using 'Me gusta dulce' to mean 'It is sweet.'
Try this instead: 'Me gusta dulce' means 'I like sweet things,' not 'It is sweet.' To describe the food, say 'Esto es dulce' (This is sweet). Use 'Me gusta' only for preference: 'Me gusta el dulce' (I like sweets).
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How would you say 'This is bitter' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
Esto es amargo.
'Esto es' plus the adjective 'amargo' correctly describes a bitter food. You could also say 'Sabe a amargo' in some contexts, but 'Esto es amargo' is the standard description.
2What does 'Sabe a picante' mean?
Show a sample answer
It tastes spicy.
'Sabe a' means 'tastes like,' and 'picante' means spicy. This describes the flavor, not your preference. You could also say 'Es picante' (It is spicy).
3How do you say 'This is sour' using the Latin American term?
Show a sample answer
Esto es ácido.
'Ácido' is widely used in Latin America for sour. In Spain, 'agrio' is more common, but both are understood.
Use 'Esto es + flavor' to describe what a food is like, and 'Sabe a + flavor' to say what it tastes like. Keep these separate from 'Me gusta' to talk about preference.
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