Spanish word

queso

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkeso/

Meaning

  • masculine nouncheese

Example

Compré un queso para la cena.

I bought some cheese for dinner.

Illustration for queso (cheese)

More examples

Espolvoreé queso rallado sobre la pasta.

I sprinkled grated cheese over the pasta.

Core concept

Coagulated milk curds draining in cheesecloth as whey separates.

Common phrases

  • queso fresco

    fresh cheese

  • queso rallado

    grated cheese

  • tabla de queso

    cheese board

Similar words

queso crema: Soft, creamy, spreadable cheese commonly used as a spread on bread or crackers.
queso rallado: Dry cheese grated into fine shreds or flakes for sprinkling over dishes.
queso fundido: Cheese heated until it melts into a smooth, hot dip or sauce.

Definition in Spanish

Alimento derivado de la leche que resulta de separar la cuajada del suero y que puede consumirse fresco o curado.

Word origin

Queso comes from Latin caseus through Vulgar Latin into Spanish and refers to the dairy product made when milk solids are coagulated and separated from whey.

Usage tips

  • Shop labels commonly use fresco for fresh, mild cheeses and curado or añejo for aged, firmer cheeses, which indicates the likely texture and flavor.

Related words

  • queseríacheese shopnoun
  • queserocheese makernoun
  • quesitolittle cheesenoun

Word lists with this word