How to Use a Microwave in Spanish (without looking STUPID)
If you’re traveling or living in Latin America, you’ll quickly notice that everyday appliances — like microwaves — may look familiar, but the buttons? Not so much.
Don’t worry, this quick guide will teach you how to use a microwave in Spanish so you won’t feel lost or confused the next time you’re just trying to work a darn microwave!
Follow along with the video for best results:
Why You Need to Know Microwave Spanish Words
Microwaves work the same around the world — heat food, defrost, reheat — but the microwave button labels in Spanish can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the language. Understanding these terms not only helps you use appliances more confidently, but it also helps build your everyday Spanish vocabulary.
Let’s break down the most common microwave words in Spanish.
Common Microwave Settings in Spanish
Carne, Pollo, Mariscos
These are food presets that you’ll often see at the top of the microwave panel:
- Carne = Meat
- Pollo = Chicken
- Mariscos = Seafood or shellfish
These buttons cook those items at pre-set temperatures.
Nivel de Potencia
This translates to Power Level — how strong or weak the microwave’s heat is. Useful if you want to avoid overheating your food.
Tiempo
This is the Spanish word for Time. You’ll press this when setting how long your food should cook.
Descongelar por Peso
One of the more intimidating phrases, but it simply means Defrost by Weight.
- Peso = Weight
- Descongelar = To defrost
(Pro tip: the prefix “des-” often reverses the meaning of the word, like “de” or “un” in English.)
Descongelar por Tiempo
Same concept, but based on time: Defrost by Time.
Express
Thankfully, this one is the same in English: Express — a quick heat function.
Memoria
This button stands for Memory, used to save custom settings.
How to Read Microwave Numbers in Spanish
The number buttons look the same — but it’s useful to know how they’re pronounced:
- 1 = Uno
- 2 = Dos
- 3 = Tres
- 4 = Cuatro
- 5 = Cinco
- 6 = Seis
- 7 = Siete
- 8 = Ocho
- 9 = Nueve
- 0 = Cero
You won’t need these just for the microwave — they’ll come in handy anytime you’re counting or entering numbers in Spanish.
Other Microwave Spanish Words You’ll See
Reloj
Means Clock or Time. You’ll use this to set the actual time on the microwave.
Programar
Looks familiar, right? It means To program or To schedule.
Cancelar
Pretty easy: Cancel. You’ll use this to stop or reset a function.
Inicio
This is the Start button.
It’s pronounced “E-nee-see-oh” (Remember: The “I” in Spanish sounds like a hard e: “ee”).
A memory trick: Inicio sounds like Initiate, which also means to start.
Learn Everyday Spanish, One Appliance at a Time
Now you know how to use a microwave in Spanish without fumbling around or pressing random buttons. It’s little victories like this that make living or traveling in Latin America smoother — and makes your Spanish stronger, one daily task at a time.
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