Spanish · Food & Drink

"Knife" in Spanish: cuchillo

el cuchillo

Say it: koo-CHEE-yohmasculine · el cuchillonoun/kuˈtʃi.ʝo/

A knife is el cuchillo (koo-CHEE-yoh), a masculine noun: un cuchillo de mesa. Kitchen knives are still cuchillo, often with a type name after it.

Missing cutlery

¿Me presta un cuchillo, por favor?
Could you lend me a knife, please?
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How to pronounce cuchillo

Say it

koo-CHEE-yoh

/kuˈtʃi.ʝo/

koo-CHEE-yoh, stress on CHEE. The ch is like English "chew". Ll in cuchillo sounds like y in Latin America.

"Knife" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
el cuchilloknife

Default word for knives.

el cuchillo de mesatable knife

Place-setting knife.

el cuchillo de cocinakitchen knife

Cooking knife.

el cuchillo para panbread knife

Serrated loaf knife.

How to use cuchillo in real life

  1. 1Missing cutlery

    ¿Me presta un cuchillo, por favor?

    Could you lend me a knife, please?

    Polite ask for a missing cuchillo.

  2. 2At the table

    Este cuchillo no corta bien.

    This knife does not cut well.

    Common complaint about a dull cuchillo.

  3. 3Cooking

    Lava el cuchillo después de usarlo.

    Wash the knife after using it.

    Kitchen safety habit with cuchillo.

Mistakes English speakers make with cuchillo

Incorrect: La cuchillo está afilado.

Correct: El cuchillo está afilado.

Cuchillo is masculine: el cuchillo, afilado.

Incorrect: Necesito un knife para el pan.

Correct: Necesito un cuchillo para el pan.

Use cuchillo, not English knife.

Good to know

Cuchillo covers table and kitchen knives. Do not confuse cuchillo with cuchara (spoon). Steakhouses may bring a sharper cuchillo without asking.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Cutting shared bread

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Tienes el cuchillo ahí?

    Do you have the knife there?

  2. You

    Sí. Te paso el cuchillo ahora.

    Yes. I'll pass you the knife now.

  3. ChatPal

    Gracias. Este cuchillo corta perfecto.

    Thanks. This knife cuts perfectly.

  4. You

    Buen pan, ¿verdad?

    Good bread, right?

This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.

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"Knife" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Knife" in Spanish

Is cuchillo masculine or feminine?

Masculine: el cuchillo, un cuchillo nuevo.

How do I avoid mixing up cuchillo and cuchara?

Cuchillo is knife; cuchara is spoon. Different endings: -illo vs -ara.

How do I ask for a knife?

¿Me trae un cuchillo, por favor?

How do you pronounce cuchillo?

koo-CHEE-yoh, stress on CHEE, for cuchillo.

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