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Cooking in Esperanto: kitchen words, verbs and a recipe

From kuirejo to kuiraĵo: the kitchen words, cooking verbs and measures you need to follow, and write, a recipe.

Updated: 4 min read

The kitchen is kuirejo, from kuiri "to cook" and -ej- "place". The main cooking verbs are kuiri "to cook", boli "to boil", friti "to fry", baki "to bake" and rosti "to roast". Many tools are named after a verb: tranĉi "to cut" gives tranĉilo "knife". Food words are on the food and drink page, the rest of the home on house and home. Pronunciation guides split words into syllables, with the stressed syllable in capitals.

The kitchen and its appliances

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
kitchenkuirejoku-i-RE-joA place for cooking
ovenbakfornobak-FOR-noA forno for baking
furnace, kiln, ovenfornoFOR-noBroader: baking, melting or heating
stove, cookerfornelofor-NE-loOven plus hotplates or burners
oven compartmentbakujoba-KU-jobaki + -uj-
refrigeratorfridujofri-DU-joThe dictionary ReVo calls frida "cold" a neologism
freezerfrostujofros-TU-joFood keeps there for months
kettlebolkruĉobol-KRU-ĉoHandle, lid and spout

Pots, pans and tools

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
potpotoPO-toAlso a flowerpot
saucepankaseroloka-se-RO-loDeeper than a pato
frying panpatoPA-toShallow, long handle; ReVo also lists fritilo
lidkovriloko-VRI-lokovri "to cover"
sieve, colanderkribrilokri-BRI-lokribri "to sift"
graterraspiloras-PI-loraspi "to grate"
whiskkirlilokir-LI-loFor beating eggs or cream
ladleĉerpiloĉer-PI-loFor scooping liquid
scalespesilope-SI-loFor weighing

Plates and cutlery

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
platetelerote-LE-roShallow, to eat from
dishpladoPLA-doA serving plate, or the food on it
bowlbovloBOV-loA vessel with no neck
cuptasoTA-soFor hot drinks
glassglasoGLA-soTaller than wide
knifetranĉilotran-ĈI-lo
forkforkoFOR-ko
spoonkuleroku-LE-ro
cutlerymanĝilaroman-ĝi-LA-romanĝi + -il- + -ar-

Cooking verbs

Nearly all cooking verbs are transitive: they take an object with -n (see the accusative).

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
to cookkuiriku-I-riThe general verb
to boil foodbolkuiribol-ku-I-riIn boiling water
to fryfritiFRI-tiIn hot oil or fat
to bakebakiBA-kiIn an oven or in ashes
to roastrostiROS-tiNo added fat or water
to grillkradrostikrad-ROS-tiOn a grate over a fire
to stewstufiSTU-fiSlowly, in a closed pot
to steamvaporkuiriva-por-ku-I-rivaporo "steam" + kuiri

Preparing food

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
to cuttranĉiTRAN-ĉi
to chophakiHA-kiStrike to cut apart
to peelsenŝeligisen-ŝe-LI-giReVo: senŝeligi terpomon
to mixmiksiMIK-si
to stirkirliKIR-liA quick turning motion
to kneadknediKNE-diFlour and water into dough
to pourverŝiVER-ŝiA liquid
to pour, tipŝutiŜU-tiGrain, sand, flour
to addaldonial-DO-ni
to spread, greaseŝmiriŜMI-riA thin layer of fat
to salt / to seasonsali / spiciSA-li / SPI-ciAdd salt / add spices
to taste, trygustumigus-TU-miOn purpose

Gusti is a different verb and takes no object: La supo bongustas. "The soup tastes good." Compare Mi gustumas la supon. "I am tasting the soup."

Heat and cold

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
to heat, warmvarmigivar-MI-gi
to cool, chillmalvarmigimal-var-MI-gi
to meltfandiFAN-difandiĝi "to melt by itself"
to thawdegelide-GE-liIntransitive
to freezefrostigifros-TI-giMake icy cold
to be coldfridiFRI-diReVo's example is a fridge

Boil, melt, cook: -ig- and -iĝ- in the kitchen

English uses one verb for "the water boils" and "I boil the water"; Esperanto uses two. Boli is what the liquid does, boligi what you do to it. Other verbs run the other way: kuiri is what you do to food, kuiriĝi what the food does. The rule is on the -ig- and -iĝ- page.

VerbsBy itselfSomeone does it
boli → boligiLa lakto bolas. "The milk is boiling."Mi boligas la lakton. "I am boiling the milk."
kuiriĝi ← kuiriLa supo kuiriĝas. "The soup is cooking."Mi kuiras la supon. "I am cooking the soup."
fandiĝi ← fandiLa butero fandiĝas. "The butter is melting."Mi fandas la buteron. "I am melting the butter."

Measures

EnglishEsperantoPronunciationNote
kilogram / gramkilogramo / gramoki-lo-GRA-mo / GRA-mo
litrelitroLI-tro
decilitredecilitrode-ci-LI-troA tenth of a litre
cuptasoTA-soReVo: about 150 ml in cooking
tablespoonsupkulerosup-ku-LE-roAbout 15 ml
teaspoontekulerote-ku-LE-roAbout 5 ml
piece / slicepeco / tranĉaĵoPE-co / tran-ĈA-ĵo
half / quarterduono / kvaronodu-O-no / kva-RO-noduono de la kuko "half of the cake"

The thing measured follows da and takes no -n: du tasoj da faruno "two cups of flour". The measure is the object: Mi aldonas du tasojn da faruno. More rules for da are on the food and drink page.

A recipe: krespoj (pancakes)

A recipe is a recepto and an ingredient an ingredienco. ReVo defines krespo as a thin pancake of flour, milk and eggs, also called patkuko.

Ingrediencoj – ingredients: 150 gramoj da faruno (150 g flour), 3 decilitroj da lakto (3 dl milk), 2 ovoj (2 eggs), iom da salo (a little salt), 1 supkulero da oleo (1 tablespoon oil), sukero kaj citrono (sugar and lemon).

Kiel prepari – how to prepare:

  1. Metu la farunon en grandan bovlon. – Put the flour in a large bowl.
  2. Rompu la ovojn en la bovlon kaj aldonu la lakton kaj iom da salo. – Break the eggs into the bowl and add the milk and a little salt.
  3. Kirlu la miksaĵon per forko, ĝis ĝi fariĝos glata. – Stir the mixture with a fork until it is smooth.
  4. Lasu la miksaĵon ripozi dek minutojn. – Let it rest for ten minutes.
  5. Varmigu la paton kaj ŝmiru ĝin per iom da oleo. – Heat the pan and grease it with a little oil.
  6. Verŝu en la paton iom de la miksaĵo. – Pour a little of the mixture into the pan.
  7. Fritu la krespon du minutojn, turnu ĝin kaj fritu ĝin ankoraŭ unu minuton. – Fry the pancake for two minutes, turn it over and fry it one more minute.
  8. Ripetu, ĝis la miksaĵo finiĝos. – Repeat until the mixture is used up.
  9. Servu la krespojn kun sukero kaj citrono. – Serve the pancakes with sugar and lemon.

Steps are commands ending in -u (see verbs); add ni for "let's": Ni kuiru! A length of time takes -n without a preposition: du minutojn. And da never stands before la: iom da salo, but iom de la miksaĵo "some of the mixture".

How kitchen words are built

Word partMeaningExamples
-ej-placekuirejo kitchen, bakejo bakery
-il-tool, devicetranĉilo knife, raspilo grater, rostilo roasting device
-uj-containerfridujo refrigerator, piprujo pepper shaker, salujo salt cellar
-aĵ-a concrete thingkuiraĵo a cooked dish, fritaĵo fried food, bakaĵo baked goods
-ist-person with a tradekuiristo cook, bakisto baker
-ar-collectionmanĝilaro cutlery, vazaro dishes

PMEG says -il- words normally come from verbs, so a cooking verb gives you its tool: rosti → rostilo, miksi → miksilo. Not every such word is used: ReVo marks bolilo "to be avoided" and prefers bolkruĉo. See suffixes and word building. Kuirilo is any kitchen tool or appliance.

Common questions

How do you say "kitchen" in Esperanto?

Kuirejo, from kuiri "to cook" and -ej- "place".

How do you say "to cook" in Esperanto?

Kuiri: Mi kuiras vespermanĝon. "I am cooking dinner." More specific are friti, baki, rosti and bolkuiri.

What is the difference between boli and boligi?

Boli is what a liquid does: La akvo bolas. Boligi is what you do to it: Mi boligas akvon. For food in boiling water, say bolkuiri: Mi bolkuiras terpomojn.

How do you give amounts in a recipe in Esperanto?

Name the measure, then da: taso da lakto "a cup of milk", supkulero da oleo "a tablespoon of oil".

Sources

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