Ah, ¿te gusta el calamar?
Oh, you like squid?
Squid is a star of seaside menus, and with gustar it keeps its article: ¿te gusta el calamar?
From Drop: Amenaza anónima · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "squid" in Spanish
el calamar
nounmasculineplural: los calamares
"Squid" in Spanish is el calamar. Menus usually list it in the plural, calamares, as in calamares a la romana, battered and fried squid rings. A small squid is un chipirón, and the octopus is a different animal: el pulpo.
Hear "calamar" in real movie scenes
One on the menu, one alive. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Felicidades, Reggie, es un... calamar.
Congratulations, Reggie, it's a... squid.
Everyone knows the name from a menu, but a live one is harder to recognize, which explains the pause before calamar.
Squid on a Spanish menu
Dishes and sea creatures you'll meet at a tapas bar.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| calamares a la romana | battered, fried squid rings |
| el bocadillo de calamares | fried squid sandwich, a classic in Madrid |
| calamares en su tinta | squid cooked in its own ink |
| chipirones | baby squid, usually fried or grilled |
| el pulpo | octopus |
| la sepia | cuttlefish |
Tip: Ask for una ración for a full plate to share, or una tapa for a small portion: una ración de calamares.
Grammar: el calamar, los calamares
Four points for ordering and talking about squid.
Masculine, plural in -es
One squid is el calamar. For more than one, add -es: los calamares.Liking it
Verbs of liking keep the article: Me encanta el calamar. With the plural, gustar turns into gustan: ¿Te gustan los calamares?Food or dish
Use the singular for squid as a food: el calamar. A plate of it is plural: una ración de calamares.Stress at the end
The last syllable carries the stress: kah-lah-MAR. Finish with a single tapped r.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Me encanta el calamar.
I love squid.
Odio los calamares.
I hate squid.
Pues el calamar está buenísimo.
Well, the squid is great.
Ah, ¿te gusta el calamar?
Oh, you like squid?
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗el calamari
✓el calamar, los calamares
Calamari is the Italian plural that English menus borrowed. Spanish has calamar and calamares.
✗el pulpo (meaning squid)
✓el calamar
El pulpo is the octopus, the one with eight arms. Squid is el calamar.
✗Me gusta calamar
✓Me gusta el calamar
When you say you like a food in general, put el in front of it.
Real conversation: ordering at the bar
A short dialog at a busy bar counter.
You're at the counter of a crowded bar with your coworker Lucas, and the two of you have to decide what to order. The waiter recommended the squid.
Yo, un vaso de vino. ¿Y tú?
A glass of wine for me. And you?
Pues al final unas patatas.
Well, some potatoes after all.
¿Y el calamar? No sé...
And the squid? I'm not sure...
Your turn to answer
In the app you reply in Spanish for the last 2 lines.
Continue the conversation in WordyPractice: 3 quick exercises
Free, and you don't need an account.
1 of 3 · Watch and choose
What do you hear in the video?
The other 33 exercises on this topic are in the app.
How to remember it
Calamar is calamari without the final i. Picture a plate of fried rings and take one bite out of the word.
Questions about "squid" in Spanish
How do you say squid in Spanish?
El calamar. More than one is los calamares, the form you'll see on most menus.
What are calamares a la romana?
Squid rings dipped in batter and fried. They're a classic tapa in Spain, and in Madrid people also eat them in a sandwich.
What's the difference between calamar and pulpo?
El calamar is squid and el pulpo is octopus. Baby squid are called chipirones.
Is it calamar or calamari in Spanish?
Calamar, and calamares in the plural. Calamari is the Italian word that English borrowed.
