Vocabulary is essential to continue your adventure of learning Spanish in Spain, and if there is one thing that characterizes the country, it is its cuisine. Therefore, it is essential that you know all the kitchen appliances and utensils in Spanish that you can use to cook and prepare traditional Spanish food during your stay.

Whether you are staying with a host family or in a student residence where you share an apartment, the kitchen is a gathering place where you can continue learning, and to do so, you need to know the names of kitchen appliances and utensils in Spanish.

In this article from don Quijote, you can learn all the kitchen vocabulary you will use in your daily life. You can also read this article in Spanish, French, Italian, German, or Portuguese.

Kitchen appliances in Spanish

Below is a list of kitchen appliances in Spanish that you can find in any house:

• Nevera (Refrigerator)
• Congelador (Freezer)
• Horno (Oven)
• Microondas (Microwave)
• Vitrocerámica (Ceramic hob)
• Campana extractora or extractor (Extractor hood or extractor fan)
• Licuadora (Blender)
• Batidora (Hand mixer)
• Tostadora (Toaster)
• Cafetera (Coffee maker)
• Hervidor eléctrico or tetera eléctrica (Electric kettle or electric teapot)
• Procesador de alimentos (Food processor)
• Exprimidor (Juicer)
• Freidora (Deep fryer)
• Freidora de aire (Air fryer)
• Arrocera (Rice cooker)
• Sandwichera (Sandwich maker)
• Plancha eléctrica or parrilla eléctrica (Electric griddle or electric grill)
• Robot de cocina (Food processor)
• Lavavajillas or lavaplatos (Dishwasher)
• Dispensador de agua (Water dispenser)

Other useful words that are not appliances but can be found in the kitchen are: grifo (faucet), fregadero (sink), encimera (countertop), or despensa (pantry).

Kitchen tools in Spanish

With appliances, you can prepare many dishes, but you also need utensils to complete the recipes. These are some of the most used kitchen tools in Spanish. Are there any you think are missing? Let us know!

• Cuchillo (Knife)
• Tenedor (Fork)
• Cuchara (Spoon)
• Plato (Plate)
• Vaso (Glass)
• Taza (Cup)
• Copa (Bowl)
• Espátula (Spatula)
• Varillas (Whisk)
• Pelador (Peeler)
• Rallador (Grater)
• Abrelatas (Can opener)
• Sacacorchos or abrebotellas (Corkscrew or bottle opener)
• Tijeras de cocina (Kitchen scissors)
• Embudo (Funnel)
• Escurridor (Colander)
• Rodillo (Rolling pin)

• Mortero (Mortar)
• Colador (Strainer)
• Pinzas de cocina (Kitchen tongs)
• Cazo or cazuela (Saucepan or casserole dish)
• Olla (Pot)
• Sartén (Frying pan)
• Cacerola (Saucepan)
• Tapa (Lid)
• Taza medidora (Measuring cup)
• Bol or cuenco (Bowl or basin)
• Jarra (Jug)
• Tabla de cortar (Cutting board)
• Servilleta (Napkin)
• Mantel (Tablecloth)
• Fuente or bandeja (Platter or tray)
• Balanza (Scale)

Did you know all these words? Now that you know the names of kitchen utensils and appliances in Spanish, you can use them and put them into practice.

This new vocabulary will come in handy if you live in a student apartment and need to ask for something, or if you go to the supermarket and can't find a kitchen utensil. It will even be useful for your host family if you want to prepare a typical dish from your city. The list is endless!

Below is an exercise to complete using the vocabulary above. You will find the answers at the end of the article. Good luck!

Por la mañana, Sara entra en la cocina y enciende la (1) __________ para prepararse un café. Mientras tanto, mete dos rebanadas de pan en la (2) __________.

Saca la mantequilla y la mermelada de la (3) __________, y corta una fruta con un (4) __________ sobre la (5) __________.

Después del desayuno, pone los platos y los (6) __________ en el (7) __________ para lavarlos.

A la hora de la comida, Sara decide preparar una sopa. Para ello usa una (8) __________ grande y un (9) __________ para servirla.
También cocina arroz en la (10) __________ pequeño.

Mientras hierve el agua, enciende la (11) __________ para que no se llene la cocina de vapor.

Más tarde, prepara una salsa con la (12) __________ y la pasa por el (13) __________ para que quede más fina.

Pone la carne en una (14) __________ especial y la mete en el (15) __________ durante una hora.

Cuando todo está listo, sirve la comida en un (16) __________, y pone la mesa, en la que comerá con un (17) __________ y un (18) __________.

Por la noche, limpia y friega la cocina, pero también seca los platos con una (19) __________.

Were you able to fill in all the blanks? We'll give you the answers at the end. Don't forget to keep practicing your vocabulary and learning new words to become a fluent Spanish speaker. If you don't know how, our intensive Spanish courses will help you do just that. Don't miss this opportunity and start your adventure with us at one of our schools. You have 11 Spanish cities to choose from.

Solutions to the exercise: 1. cafetera; 2. tostadora; 3. nevera; 4. cuchillo, 5. tabla de cortar, 6. cucharas, 7. lavavajillas, 8. olla, 9. cucharón, 10. arrocera, 11. campana extractora, 12. batidora/licuadora, 13. colador, 14. bandeja, 15. horno, 16. plato, 17. tenedor, 18. cuchillo, 19. servilleta.

Have you ever looked up the meaning of a verb in a Spanish dictionary? If so, you've probably come across the letters tr. and intr. before seeing the definition. These abbreviations have an essential meaning in Spanish verbs, indicating whether a verb is transitive or intransitive, which will help you distinguish between them and continue your adventure of learning Spanish in Spain.

At don Quijote, we'll tell you everything you need to know about Spanish transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, and copulative verbs, the differences between them, and examples so you know how to tell them apart. We'll also give you some exercises to practice!

Keep reading this article or change the language to Spanish, French, Italian, or Portuguese.

Spanish transitive verbs

Spanish transitive verbs are those that need a direct object to make sense in a sentence. Without the object, the sentence would be unclear or incomplete. Some of these verbs are comer (to eat), escribir (to write), comprar (to buy), and tocar (to touch).

These transitive verbs in Spanish, needing an object to have complete meaning, are always followed by a Spanish direct object.

Spanish intransitive verbs

Spanish intransitive verbs, on the other hand, do not need a complement to make sense. These verbs express an action that does not require a direct object, although they can take other types of complements. Some intransitive verbs in Spanish are: llegar (to arrive), nacer (to be born), caminar (to walk), and dormir (to sleep).

Copulative verbs in Spanish

Finally, Spanish copulative verbs are more special and there are only three: ser, estar, and parecer. These verbs do not express an action but rather link the subject with an attribute and do not need a complement because the actions take place on their own.

Thus, in Spanish copulative verbs, the essential element is not the action of the verb, but the attribute, which can be an adjective, noun, or pronoun, and which qualifies the subject.

Differences between transitive and intransitive verbs

It is important to learn to differentiate between Spanish transitive and intransitive verbs, especially if you need to perform a Spanish sentence analysis. Here are some tips to help you understand and learn to differentiate between these verbs:

Need for a direct object. Transitive verbs in Spanish always need a direct object to complete their meaning. Intransitive verbs in Spanish do not need this complement. For example:

• Laura lee un libro (Laura reads a book). In this sentence, the direct object is un libro (a book), so the verb is transitive.
• Pedro corre rápido (Pedro runs fast). In this sentence, there is no direct object, so the verb is intransitive.

Meaning of the action. While in transitive verbs in Spanish the action occurs to the direct object, in intransitive verbs in Spanish the action falls only on the subject. Examples:

• El niño rompió el vaso (The boy broke the glass). Here the action falls on the glass, which receives the action.
• El bebé llora (The baby cries). In this sentence, the action falls on the subject itself, that is, the baby.

Possibility of passive voice. Another trick is to convert the sentence into the passive voice to find out if the verb is transitive or intransitive. Spanish transitive verbs can be converted into passive sentences, but Spanish intransitive verbs cannot. Example:

• Maria escribió una carta (María wrote a letter): active voice
• Una carta fue escrita por María (A letter was written by María): passive voice

Common complements. If you analyze what type of complement the sentence has, you can figure out what type of verb it is. If you find direct, indirect, or circumstantial complements in a sentence, you are probably dealing with a Spanish transitive verb. Intransitive verbs in Spanish, on the other hand, are usually accompanied by circumstantial complements of place, time, manner, etc.

For example:

• Ana envió una carta a su amiga (Ana sent a letter to her friend). Spanish transitive verb because it is accompanied by a direct complement, una carta (a letter), and an indirect complement, a su amiga (to her friend).
• Ellos viajan en verano (They travel in summer). Spanish intransitive verb because it is accompanied by a circumstantial complement of time, en verano (in summer).

On the other hand, Spanish copulative verbs are easy to differentiate from the previous ones, as there are only three and they are very easy to identify. Remember that the copulative verbs are ser, estar, and parecer. For example:

• La casa es grande (The house is big)
• El café está caliente (The coffee is hot)
• Te pareces a tu padre (You look like your father)
• Mi hermana está trabajando (My sister is working)

Exercises with Spanish transitive and intransitive verbs

Once you have learned the definition of each type of verb, it's time to test your knowledge. Below are 12 sentences for you to determine whether the verb is transitive or intransitive. You will find the answers at the end of the article!

1. Juan lee un libro (Juan reads a book)
2. Nosotros viajamos a Madrid (We travel to Madrid)
3. El bebé duerme en su cuna (The baby sleeps in his crib)
4. María compra pan en la tienda (María buys bread at the store)
5. Ellos juegan en el parque (They play in the park)
6. Ana escribe una carta (Ana writes a letter)
7. Mi abuelo vive en un pueblo pequeño (My grandfather lives in a small town)
8. Pedro rompe el vaso (Pedro breaks the glass)
9. Carmen nada en la piscina (Carmen swims in the pool)
10. Laura toca la guitarra (Laura plays the guitar)
11. Invitaron a todos sus amigos a la fiesta (They invited all their friends to the party)
12. Tardamos cuatro horas en llegar a nuestro destino (It took us four hours to reach our destination)

Were you able to identify the transitive and intransitive verbs? Keep practicing to master verbs and achieve the level of Spanish you've always dreamed of. And if you need help and want to get to know a city in Spain better, with don Quiote's intensive Spanish courses, everything is at your fingertips.

Venture into Spanish and discover all the wonders that the language, its culture, and its people have to offer. We are waiting for you!

Answers: transitive, intransitive, intransitive, transitive, intransitive, transitive, intransitive, transitive, intransitive, transitive, transitive, intransitive.