Spanish word

cebolla

Pronunciation

IPA/θeˈβoʝa/

Meaning

  • feminine nounonion

Example

¿Quieres cebolla en la ensalada?

Do you want onions in the salad?

Illustration for cebolla (onion)

More examples

Voy a cortar la cebolla para la salsa.

I'm going to cut the onion for the sauce.

Core concept

Round layered bulb with papery skin and sharp aroma.

Common phrases

  • cebolla picada

    chopped onion

  • cebolla cruda

    raw onion

  • sopa de cebolla

    onion soup

Similar words

ajo: Compact bulb of separate cloves with an intense, pungent flavor used in small amounts.
cebolleta: Slender plant with a white base and green tops, crisp raw and mild when cooked.
puerro: Long, thick pale stalk eaten mainly cooked to add mild savory depth to soups.
cebollín: Very thin hollow green leaves cut finely and sprinkled raw to add a delicate fresh aroma.

Definition in Spanish

Bulbo comestible de sabor fuerte que se usa crudo o cocinado para dar sabor a los platos.

Word origin

From Latin cepulla, a diminutive of cepa 'onion', transmitted through medieval Romance into Old Spanish cebolla.

Usage tips

  • In restaurants servers often ask '¿Con cebolla?' to ask whether a dish should include onion, 'sin cebolla' means without onion, and cebollín or cebolleta refer to green onions rather than the bulb.

Related words

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