ingrediente
nounCEFR B1
What does “ingrediente” mean in English?
ingredient
ingredient (component of a recipe or food product) — los ingredientes principales, ingrediente secreto
Example sentences
Antes de empezar a cocinar, coloca todos los ingredientes ya medidos en la mesa para no tener que buscar nada después.
Before you start cooking, lay out all the ingredients already measured on the table so you don't have to look for anything afterwards.
El ingrediente que le da sabor especial a este plato es el azafrán, que es caro pero se usa en muy poca cantidad.
The ingredient that gives this dish its special flavour is saffron, which is expensive but used in very small quantities.
How to use it
Ingrediente means 'ingredient' — an individual component of a recipe. It is masculine (el ingrediente) and typically appears in the plural when listing what a recipe requires (los ingredientes). Common collocates: los ingredientes principales, un ingrediente clave, ingrediente secreto. It is a safe cognate with English and does not have a false-friend trap.
Common mistake
Ingrediente is a reliable cognate — no false-friend danger. The main B1 error is gender: el ingrediente (masculine), not *la ingrediente. Students also sometimes confuse ingrediente (a recipe component) with condimento (a condiment added at the table) or especia (a dried spice specifically).