If you already understand chocolate /tʃokoˈlate/ — chocolate, tomate /toˈmate/ — tomato, jaguar /xaˈɣwaɾ/ — jaguar, canoa /kaˈno.a/ — canoe, huracán /uɾaˈkan/ — hurricane, or barbacoa /baɾbaˈkoa/ — barbecue, surprise: you’ve just met a bunch of Spanish words with Indigenous roots.
Spanish is full of words borrowed from Indigenous American languages, Arabic, and other languages. The fun part? Many of them are also used in English, so you get a ton of “free” vocabulary if you know where to look.
By the end of this guide, you’ll recognize common Indigenous and other loanwords in Spanish, know what they mean, how to pronounce them, and how to drop them into real conversations without sounding like a walking history documentary.
Quick Primer: What Is A Loanword In Spanish?
First concept:
- Préstamo /ˈpɾes.tamo/ — loanword (a borrowed word)
- Indigenismo /indiheˈnismo/ — word of Indigenous origin used in Spanish
- Arabismo /aɾaˈβismo/ — word of Arabic origin in Spanish
Spanish has borrowed heavily from:
- Indigenous American languages: náhuatl, quechua, taíno, guaraní…
- Arabic: especially in Spain, thanks to centuries of contact
- Other European languages: mainly French, Italian, and English
The key for you as a learner:
- Many of these words are international: you practically know them already.
- Their pronunciation is Spanish, so you just “dress” them in Spanish sounds.
- They often live in delicious corners of vocabulary: food, animals, nature, culture.
Let’s meet some stars.
Indigenous American Loanwords: Food You Already Eat
Most learners don’t realize that their favorite Mexican menu is basically a museum of náhuatl /ˈna.watl/ and taíno /taˈino/ words.
Everyday Indigenous-Origin Food Words
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Chocolate | tʃokoˈlate | chocolate |
| Cacao | kaˈka.o | cacao |
| Tomate | toˈmate | tomato |
| Aguacate | aɣwaˈkate | avocado |
| Chile | ˈtʃile | chili pepper |
| Guacamole | ɡwakaˈmole | guacamole |
| Maíz | maˈis | maize, corn |
| Cacahuate (Mx) | kakaˈwate | peanut |
| Barbacoa | baɾbaˈkoa | barbecue (style of cooking/meat dish) |
| Batata | baˈtata | sweet potato, yam |
| Quinua / quinoa | ˈkinwa | quinoa |
Mini examples:
- Me encanta el chocolate caliente. /me eŋˈkanta el tʃokoˈlate kaˈljente/
I love hot chocolate. - Hoy comemos tacos de barbacoa. /oj koˈmemos ˈtakos ðe baɾbaˈkoa/
Today we’re eating barbacoa tacos. - El guacamole lleva aguacate, tomate y chile. /el ɡwakaˈmole ˈʝe.βa aɣwaˈkate toˈmate i ˈtʃile/
Guacamole has avocado, tomato, and chili.
Many of these come from náhuatl or taíno, but honestly, your stomach doesn’t care — it’s just happy.
Indigenous Words For Animals And Nature
Next group: creatures and landscapes. A lot of “exotic” animal names in Spanish are actually Indigenous words that English borrowed too.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Jaguar | xaˈɣwaɾ | jaguar |
| Puma | ˈpuma | puma, cougar |
| Llama | ˈʝama | llama |
| Cóndor | ˈkondoɾ | condor |
| Caimán | kajˈman | caiman (type of crocodile) |
| Iguana | iˈɣwana | iguana |
| Tucán | tuˈkan | toucan |
| Pampa | ˈpampa | plains, open grassland |
| Cancha | ˈkantʃa | sports court, field |
| Mate | ˈmate | mate (herbal drink) |
Example sentences:
- En los Andes hay llamas y cóndores. /en los ˈandes aj ˈʝamas i ˈkondoɾes/
In the Andes there are llamas and condors. - Vamos a jugar en la cancha de fútbol. /ˈbamos a xuˈɣaɾ en la ˈkantʃa ðe ˈfutβol/
We’re going to play on the football field. - El jaguar vive en la selva. /el xaˈɣwaɾ ˈβi.βe en la ˈselβa/
The jaguar lives in the jungle.
Words like puma, llama, cóndor, pampa, cancha, and mate are especially linked to quechua /ˈketʃwa/ and other Andean languages.
Taíno Influence: Hurricanes, Hammocks And Holidays
The taíno languages gave Spanish (and English) some extremely vacation-themed words.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Huracán | uɾaˈkan | hurricane |
| Canoa | kaˈno.a | canoe |
| Hamaca | aˈmaka | hammock |
| Tabaco | taˈβako | tobacco |
| Sabana | saˈβana | savanna, plain |
| Caimán | kajˈman | caiman (also in animal list) |
Mini examples:
- Durmieron en hamacas frente al mar. /duɾˈmjɛ.ɾon en aˈmakas ˈfɾen.te al mar/
They slept in hammocks facing the sea. - En el Caribe hay muchos huracanes. /en el kaˈɾi.βe aj ˈmutʃos uɾaˈkanes/
In the Caribbean there are many hurricanes. - Paseamos en canoa por el río. /paˈse.a.mos en kaˈno.a poɾ el ˈri.o/
We went canoeing on the river.
Arabic Loanwords: When Spanish Starts With “Al-”
Now for the “other” big group of loanwords: Arabic-origin words, especially common in Spain but understood everywhere.
Very often, if a Spanish word starts with al- /al/ and is not some random verb, your “loanword radar” should start beeping.
| Spanish | IPA | English |
| Azúcar | aˈsukar | sugar |
| Aceite | aˈsejte | oil |
| Almohada | almoˈaða | pillow |
| Algodón | alɣoˈðon | cotton |
| Ajedrez | axeˈðɾes | chess |
| Barrio | ˈbarjo | neighborhood |
| Ojalá | oxaˈla | hopefully, I hope so |
| Alcalde | alˈkalde | mayor |
| Alfombra | alˈfombɾa | carpet, rug |
| Almacén | almaˈsen | warehouse, store |
Examples:
- No puedo dormir sin almohada. /no ˈpwe.ðo ðoɾˈmiɾ sin almoˈaða/
I can’t sleep without a pillow. - Compramos azúcar y aceite en el supermercado. /komˈpɾa.mos aˈsukar i aˈsejte en el supeɾmeɾkaˈðo/
We bought sugar and oil at the supermarket. - Ojalá no llueva mañana. /oxaˈla no ˈʝwe.βa maˈɲana/
Hopefully it won’t rain tomorrow.
You don’t need to memorize the history; just know that al- often signals “this came from Arabic at some point.”
Other Borrowed Favorites: Pizza, Yoga, And More
Spanish also borrows from lots of other languages. A few especially friendly examples:
| Spanish | IPA | Origin | English |
| Pizza | ˈpitsa | Italian | pizza |
| Pasta | ˈpasta | Italian | pasta |
| Lasagna / lasaña | laˈsaɲa | Italian | lasagna |
| Sushi | ˈsuʃi | Japanese | sushi |
| Karate | kaˈɾate | Japanese | karate |
| Yoga | ˈʝoɣa | Sanskrit/English route | yoga |
| Spa | esˈpa | English/Dutch route | spa |
| Hotel | oˈtel | French | hotel |
| Garaje | ɡaˈɾaxe | French garage | garage |
Examples:
- Cenamos pizza y luego vimos una película. /seˈnamos ˈpitsa i ˈlweɣo ˈβi.mos una peˈli.kula/
We had pizza for dinner and then watched a movie. - Ella hace yoga tres veces por semana. /ˈe.ʝa aˈse ˈʝoɣa tɾes ˈβe.ses poɾ seˈmana/
She does yoga three times a week.
These words are basically international tourists. Spanish just gives them a local accent.
Usage Notes And Pronunciation Tips
A few things to help you actually use these words without overthinking.
1. Same Word, Different Accent
Many Indigenous and other loanwords are shared with English, but you need to flip your accent switch:
- chocolate /tʃokoˈlate/ — all syllables clear: cho-co-LA-te
- tomate /toˈmate/ — to-MA-te, not “TO-may-to”
- barbacoa /baɾbaˈkoa/ — bar-ba-KO-a
- huracán /uɾaˈkan/ — u-ra-KAN
If you can break the word into syllables and give each one a clean Spanish vowel, you’re already winning.
2. Gender: Most Of These Are Masculine
Many of these nouns are masculine and take el:
- el chocolate, el aguacate, el jaguar, el huracán, el mate, el barrio
A few are feminine:
- la hamaca, la cancha, la quinoa / la quinua, la almohada, la pizza, la pasta
When you learn a new loanword, grab it with its article: el puma, la hamaca, like they’re glued together.
3. Plurals Are Mostly Boring (Good News)
Standard Spanish plural rules:
- Ending in a vowel → add -s:
- aguacates, jaguares, llamas, hamacas, quinoas
- aguacates, jaguares, llamas, hamacas, quinoas
- Ending in a consonant → add -es:
- huracanes, condores, barrios
- huracanes, condores, barrios
No secret tricks; just apply normal rules.
4. Register: All Good In Everyday Speech
These loanwords are completely normal in everyday Spanish. You can use:
- chocolate, tomate, barbacoa, maíz, quinoa, barrio, hotel, pizza
in basically any register, from chatting with friends to reading the news.
More informal slangy loans (like very modern English internet words) sometimes get side-eye in formal writing, but the words in this article are safe.
Region Notes
Because of history, different regions lean more on certain loanword families.
Mexico and Central America
Big náhuatl and other Mesoamerican influence. Super common:
- aguacate, cacahuate, chile, chocolate, guajolote /ɡwaxoˈlote/ — turkey
- Everyday items like comal /koˈmal/ — flat pan for tortillas, tianguis /ˈtjaŋɡis/ — street market.
Andean Countries (Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, etc.)
Lots of quechua words:
- papa for potato, choclo for corn on the cob, puma, cóndor, llama, mate, cancha.
- You’ll also hear choclo /ˈtʃoklo/ and choclos a lot instead of maíz in informal speech.
Caribbean Spanish (Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, coastal areas)
More obvious taíno influence:
- huracán, hamaca, barbacoa, tabaco, iguana, caimán, sabana.
Spain
- Many Indigenous-American words for foods and animals are known (chocolate, tomate, maíz, puma, jaguar).
- Very strong Arabic layer: azúcar, aceite, almohada, barrio, alcalde, alfombra, albahaca.
Knowing this is handy when you travel: you’ll recognize why certain words cluster in menus and street talk.
Mini Dialogues
Each line: Spanish, IPA, then natural English.
- At A Restaurant With Indigenous-Origin Foods
Tienen tacos de barbacoa hoy?
/ˈtjenen ˈtakos ðe baɾbaˈkoa oj/
Do you have barbacoa tacos today?
Sí, con maíz y un poco de chile.
/si kon maˈis i un ˈpoko ðe ˈtʃile/
Yes, with corn and a bit of chili.
Perfecto, y de postre un chocolate caliente.
/peɾˈfekto i ðe ˈpostɾe un tʃokoˈlate kaˈljente/
Perfect, and for dessert a hot chocolate.
- Talking About Nature And Animals
En las pampas hay muchos caballos, pero también pumas.
/en las ˈpampas aj ˈmutʃos kaˈβaʝos ˈpeɾo tamˈbjen ˈpumas/
In the pampas there are many horses, but also pumas.
En serio? Nunca he visto un puma.
/en ˈse.ɾjo ˈnuŋka e ˈβis.to un ˈpuma/
Seriously? I’ve never seen a puma.
Yo solo los he visto en documentales.
/ʝo ˈso.lo los e ˈβis.to en dokumenˈtales/
I’ve only seen them in documentaries.
- Everyday Life With Arabic And Other Loans
Ojalá no haya huracán en las vacaciones.
/oxaˈla no ˈa.ʝa uɾaˈkan en las βakaˈθjones/
Hopefully there won’t be a hurricane during vacation.
Tranquilo, nos quedamos en el hotel con piscina y comemos pizza.
/tɾaŋˈkilo nos keˈðamos en el oˈtel kon piˈsina i koˈmemos ˈpitsa/
Relax, we’ll stay in the hotel with a pool and eat pizza.
Buen plan, pero sin olvidarse del chocolate.
/bwen plan ˈpeɾo sin olβiˈðaɾse ðel tʃokoˈlate/
Good plan, but don’t forget the chocolate.
Quick Reference
Screenshot this as your “Wait, that’s Indigenous/Arabic?” cheat sheet.
| Spanish | IPA | Origin | English |
| Chocolate | tʃokoˈlate | Náhuatl | chocolate |
| Tomate | toˈmate | Náhuatl | tomato |
| Aguacate | aɣwaˈkate | Náhuatl | avocado |
| Chile | ˈtʃile | Náhuatl | chili pepper |
| Maíz | maˈis | Taíno | maize, corn |
| Guacamole | ɡwakaˈmole | Náhuatl | guacamole |
| Barbacoa | baɾbaˈkoa | Taíno | barbecue |
| Huracán | uɾaˈkan | Taíno | hurricane |
| Canoa | kaˈno.a | Taíno | canoe |
| Hamaca | aˈmaka | Taíno | hammock |
| Jaguar | xaˈɣwaɾ | Tupi-Guaraní | jaguar |
| Puma | ˈpuma | Quechua | puma, cougar |
| Llama | ˈʝama | Quechua | llama |
| Cóndor | ˈkondoɾ | Quechua | condor |
| Cancha | ˈkantʃa | Quechua | court, sports field |
| Mate | ˈmate | Quechua | mate (herbal drink) |
| Azúcar | aˈsukar | Arabic | sugar |
| Aceite | aˈsejte | Arabic | oil |
| Almohada | almoˈaða | Arabic | pillow |
| Barrio | ˈbarjo | Arabic | neighborhood |
| Ojalá | oxaˈla | Arabic | hopefully |
| Pizza | ˈpitsa | Italian | pizza |
| Sushi | ˈsuʃi | Japanese | sushi |
| Yoga | ˈʝoɣa | Sanskrit/English route | yoga |
Five-Minute Practice Plan
- “Spot The Origin” (1 minute)
Say these Spanish words aloud and guess if they’re Indigenous, Arabic, or “other”:
aguacate, huracán, cancha, azúcar, pizza, mate.
Then check with the Quick Reference. - Menu Remix (1 minute)
Invent a dream meal in Spanish using at least three Indigenous words:
Example: Quiero tacos de barbacoa con maíz y guacamole, y de postre chocolate.
Say your sentence out loud. - Nature Talk (1 minute)
Describe a landscape using at least two animal/land words:
Example: En la pampa hay llamas y cóndores.
Swap in jaguar, puma, selva, huracán as you repeat. - Arabic “Al-” Radar (1 minute)
Say these aloud and notice the al-:
almohada, algodón, almacén, alfombra, alcalde.
Then make one short sentence with any two of them. - Pronunciation Switch (1 minute)
Take chocolate, tomate, barbacoa, huracán, quinoa.
First say them like English, then in clear Spanish syllables. Feel the difference. - Real-Life Mission
Next time you see Spanish (menu, packaging, social media), try to spot one word that looks Indigenous or Arabic and say it with your best Spanish pronunciation. Tiny nerd moments like that quietly level up your vocabulary.
From Ancient Roots To Your Spanish Right Now
Every time you say chocolate, tomate, puma, huracán, or barbacoa in Spanish, you’re not just ordering food or talking about the weather—you’re using hundreds of years of language history without even trying. Lean into these loanwords: they’re familiar, fun to pronounce, and an easy win that makes your Spanish sound richer and way more connected to the real Spanish-speaking world.