Spanish · Food & Drink

"Salt" in Spanish: sal

la sal

Say it: sahlfeminine · la salnoun/sal/

Salt is la sal (sahl). It is feminine: la sal, un poco de sal. Pass the salt with ¿Me pasas la sal?

At the table

¿Me pasas la sal, por favor?
Could you pass me the salt, please?
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How to pronounce sal

Say it

sahl

/sal/

sahl. One syllable. Open a in sal. Light final l.

"Salt" in Spanish: quick reference

SpanishEnglish
la salsalt

Default uncountable noun.

la sal de mesatable salt

Everyday shaker salt.

la sal marinasea salt

Finishing salt.

sin salwithout salt / unsalted

Diet or preference request.

How to use sal in real life

  1. 1At the table

    ¿Me pasas la sal, por favor?

    Could you pass me the salt, please?

    Classic polite request.

  2. 2Cooking

    Falta sal en la sopa.

    The soup needs salt.

    Falta sal means it is undersalted.

  3. 3Ordering food

    La carne sin sal extra.

    The meat with no extra salt.

    Sin sal extra limits seasoning.

Mistakes English speakers make with sal

Incorrect: El sal está en la mesa.

Correct: La sal está en la mesa.

Sal is feminine. Use la sal.

Incorrect: Echa más salt, por favor.

Correct: Echa más sal, por favor.

Use sal, not the English word salt.

Good to know

Fruit cups in Mexico often get sal with chili and lime—sweet fruit, savory finish. At the dinner table, la sal is the shaker everyone asks for. Spain uses the same feminine sal; no regional swap like papa/patata.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Seasoning soup together

  1. ChatPal

    ¿Le pongo más sal?

    Should I add more salt?

  2. You

    Un poco de sal, nada más.

    A little salt, nothing more.

  3. ChatPal

    Listo. Prueba la sal ahora.

    Done. Taste the salt now.

  4. You

    Quedó bien. Gracias.

    It turned out well. Thanks.

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"Salt" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Salt" in Spanish

Is sal masculine or feminine?

Feminine: la sal, poca sal, sal marina.

How do you pronounce sal?

sahl—one syllable, open a.

How do I ask someone to pass the salt?

¿Me pasas la sal, por favor?

How do I say unsalted?

Sin sal. For unsalted butter you may also see sin sal on the label.

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