Brussel Sprouts in Spanish Word | Say It Right At The Market

In Spanish, the usual name is “coles de Bruselas,” and you’ll often see the singular “col de Bruselas” in dictionaries and labels.

You’re staring at a Spanish menu. Or a frozen-veg bag. Or a produce sign that looks close, but not quite. You just want the right Spanish word for Brussels sprouts without second-guessing yourself.

Good news: Spanish has a standard, widely understood term for this vegetable, plus a few variations you’ll run into by country, by store style, and by whether the writer chose singular or plural. Once you know the patterns, you can spot the meaning in a second.

Spanish Word For Brussels Sprouts On Menus And Grocery Labels

The most common Spanish name is coles de Bruselas. You’ll see it in Spain, across much of Latin America, and in Spanish-language packaging. It literally means “Brussels cabbages,” which matches what the sprouts look like: tiny cabbage heads.

You’ll also see the singular form col de Bruselas. That’s normal Spanish usage: singular to name the item as a type, plural to talk about the pieces you buy, cook, or serve.

If you want one phrase that works in the widest set of situations, use coles de Bruselas. If you’re writing a label, recipe title, or glossary entry, col de Bruselas can feel tidy and dictionary-like.

Why “Bruselas” Shows Up In The Name

In Spanish, the city Brussels is “Bruselas.” That place name is baked into the vegetable’s name, so you’ll spot it in both singular and plural forms. Spanish government and nutrition references often use “coles de Bruselas” when describing the food and its typical characteristics. You can see that usage in official Spanish materials like the Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación (MAPA) food sheet on the vegetable, which uses “coles de Bruselas” as the common name for the variety. MAPA food sheet on coles de Bruselas

What About “Brussels” With Two S’s

In English, you’ll see “Brussels sprouts.” In Spanish, the place name switches to “Bruselas.” That’s why “coles de Brussels” looks odd in Spanish writing. If you’re translating, swap the place name into Spanish and you’ll land on the standard term.

Capital Letters In Real-World Writing

On signs, you’ll see both “coles de Bruselas” and “coles de bruselas.” In running text, many writers keep it lowercase as a common food name. On packaging, capitalization can follow brand style. If you want a clean, neutral choice, write it in lowercase in a sentence: “Hoy cocino coles de Bruselas.”

If you’re curious about how Spanish reference works treat “Bruselas” as a word, you can check the Real Academia Española entry for “bruselas, Bruselas.” The dictionary page is not about the vegetable, yet it shows how the form appears in Spanish reference material. RAE dictionary entry for “bruselas, Bruselas”

How Singular, Plural, And Gender Work With This Term

Spanish agreement can trip people up because the vegetable looks plural by nature. Here’s the simple way to handle it.

Singular Form

• la col de Bruselas (one Brussels sprout as an item name, or the vegetable as a type)
• Use it in titles: “Crema de col de Bruselas.”

Plural Form

• las coles de Bruselas (a batch of sprouts, the produce you buy, the side dish on a plate)
• Use it when you mean the pieces: “Lava las coles de Bruselas y córtalas.”

Short Forms You’ll See

In conversation, people may shorten it to “las coles,” once the context is clear. A menu can do the same in a tight layout. If you’re writing for readers who may land on the page from search, keep the full term at least once early, then shorten later when it reads smoothly.

Regional Variations You May Spot In Spanish

Most Spanish speakers will understand “coles de Bruselas.” Still, food names shift by region, and some places favor a local synonym. The good part: these variants still keep “Bruselas” in view, so the meaning stays easy to catch.

Spanish Wikipedia and many food sites mention “repollos de Bruselas” as another common label in some regions, along with the standard “coles de Bruselas.” That gives you a clue about the pattern: “repollo” is cabbage in many countries, so “repollos de Bruselas” maps to the same idea. Spanish page on Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera

In Spain, “col” and “coles” are widely used for types of cabbage. In parts of Latin America, “repollo” is the day-to-day word. That’s why you’ll see both families of names in Spanish content.

Table 1: Common Names And Where You’ll See Them

Spanish Term	Where It Commonly Appears	What It Signals
coles de Bruselas	Grocery labels, menus, recipes	Most standard, widest recognition
col de Bruselas	Recipe titles, glossaries, dictionary-like writing	Singular used as a category name
repollos de Bruselas	Some Latin American writing, mixed-region content	“Repollo” chosen as the base cabbage word
repollo de Bruselas	Ingredient lists, shopping notes	Singular version of the repollo pattern
coles (context-based)	Casual conversation, short menus	Shortened form after the full name is known
coles de Bruselas congeladas	Freezer aisle packaging	Product form spelled out right in the name
coles de Bruselas salteadas / asadas	Menus and recipe headings	Cooking method added to the base term
puré / crema de coles de Bruselas	Menus for soups and purées	Dish format leading, vegetable named after

Pronunciation That Sounds Natural In Spanish

You don’t need perfect phonetics to be understood. You just need the rhythm.

How “coles” Sounds

“Coles” is two syllables, like “KO-les.” The “o” stays short. The final “s” is clear in Spain and softer in many Latin American accents.

How “Bruselas” Sounds

“Bru-se-las” is three syllables. The middle vowel is light. If you say it smoothly, you’ll sound far more natural than if you pause after each syllable.

A Fast Confidence Trick

Say the whole phrase once in your head before you speak it out loud: “coles de Bruselas.” That one quick run-through stops the common stumble where “de” gets dropped.

How To Order, Shop, And Ask For Them In Spanish

Knowing the noun is half the win. The other half is the sentence you actually say at the counter or table. Here are phrases that fit real situations.

At A Grocery Store

• “¿Tienes coles de Bruselas frescas?”
• “Busco coles de Bruselas, ¿en qué pasillo están?”
• “¿Son de temporada?”

At A Restaurant

• “¿Las coles de Bruselas vienen asadas o salteadas?”
• “¿Pueden venir sin bacon?”
• “¿Qué lleva la salsa?”

When You’re Cooking With Friends

• “Voy a hacer coles de Bruselas al horno.”
• “Las corto por la mitad para que doren mejor.”
• “Quedan buenas con limón y sal.”

Table 2: Phrase Bank You Can Reuse

What You Want To Say	Spanish You Can Use	When It Fits
I’m looking for Brussels sprouts	“Busco coles de Bruselas.”	Store, market, asking staff
Do you have them fresh	“¿Tienes coles de Bruselas frescas?”	Produce counter
Frozen Brussels sprouts	“coles de Bruselas congeladas”	Shopping lists, packaging
Roasted Brussels sprouts	“coles de Bruselas asadas”	Menus, cooking plans
Sautéed Brussels sprouts	“coles de Bruselas salteadas”	Menus, quick home cooking
Cut them in half	“Córtalas por la mitad.”	Cooking instructions
They’re bitter	“Tienen un punto amargo.”	Taste description
They’re in season	“Están de temporada.”	Shopping chatter

How They’re Listed In Spanish Nutrition And Food References

If you’re writing a blog post, a recipe card, or a bilingual glossary, it helps to see how Spanish reference materials label this vegetable. Two common patterns show up:

• Food sheets and nutrition references often use the plural “coles de Bruselas,” since the edible part is a set of small buds.
• More formal naming lines may pair Spanish with English and the scientific name, especially in reference PDFs.

The Fundación Española de la Nutrición has a dedicated PDF that uses “coles de Bruselas” as the name and describes the vegetable in Spanish, including what part is eaten and how it’s typically described. That’s useful as a sanity check when you want a Spanish label that matches common usage. FEN PDF on coles de Bruselas

Writing Tips For Bilingual Labels, Recipes, And Glossaries

If you’re translating content, small choices can make the Spanish feel native. These are the details that readers notice.

Choose One Base Term And Stick With It

Pick “coles de Bruselas” for general audiences. Then use it consistently across headings, ingredient lists, and image captions. Consistency reads clean and prevents confusion.

Use Singular For Category Labels

When you’re naming a section of a glossary or a pantry list, singular can be neat: “col de Bruselas.” It reads like a category, not a pile of sprouts.

Use Plural In Step-By-Step Cooking Lines

When you describe prep, plural fits real action: wash them, trim them, roast them. “Lava las coles de Bruselas” feels natural because the task is done to multiple pieces.

Keep “de” In Place

Spanish readers expect “coles de Bruselas,” not “coles Bruselas.” That tiny connector is part of the name.

A Note On Style References In Spanish

When writers want guidance on Spanish forms and usage, they often check language advisory sources. FundéuRAE, which is linked with Spanish usage guidance and backed by recognized institutions, is a common place to confirm how place names and related forms appear in Spanish writing. FundéuRAE page tagged “bruselas”

Common Mistakes And Easy Fixes

These slip-ups show up a lot in translations and quick captions. Each fix is simple.

Mixing English And Spanish In One Name

Mistake: “coles de Brussels”

Fix: swap the place name into Spanish: “coles de Bruselas”

Using A Literal Word-For-Word Translation That Misses Usage

Mistake: “brotes de Bruselas” as the main label

Fix: keep “brotes” for actual sprouts in other contexts; for the vegetable, stick with “coles de Bruselas” unless you’re quoting a brand name.

Forgetting Agreement In A Sentence

Mistake: “La coles de Bruselas”

Fix: match article and number: “Las coles de Bruselas” or “La col de Bruselas.”

Overthinking Accent Marks

“Bruselas” has no accent mark. “Col” has none. “Coles” has none. If you’re typing fast, that’s one less thing to stress about.

Mini Checklist You Can Use Before You Publish Or Speak

• Want the standard term: write “coles de Bruselas.”
• Writing a category label: “col de Bruselas” works well.
• Seeing “repollos de Bruselas”: same vegetable, different base word.
• Ordering food: add the cooking method after the name.
• Translation sanity check: “Brussels” becomes “Bruselas” in Spanish.

If you learn just one thing, make it this: coles de Bruselas is the phrase you can trust across menus, stores, and Spanish recipes.