What do I call papas fritas for orders?

Question

Okay, I'm still working on my pictures for the Spanish classes I'm teaching.

No laughing !!! I hardly speak Spanish and I'm teaching 5 different classes in the public school.

Anyway I have a picture of a order of french fries and another picture with two orders of fries, they are in McDonald type containers.

I'm using these pictures to teach definate and indefinate articles and also to teach, Querer conjugations and comer conjugations to the little kids.

Can anyone help me with what these would be called in the singular and plural?

thank you so much sharon

Answer 1

Hi Sharon,

What a great opportunity...to be able to teach Spanish. They always say that the person who usually learns the most is the teacher, so this is probably helping you to learn a lot.

I know that French fries are definitely called "papa fritas". That is how I have seen them on menus in different parts of Latin America. However, your question really started me thinking. The only time we refer to "French fries" as singular is when we are holding or referring to just one fry.

I guess you would have to label each picture as "an order" as in "one order of French fries and two orders of French fries".

Una orden de papas fritas

y

dos órdenes de papas fritas

Also occassionally called "papas francesas". And you could say "Una porción de papas francesas", etc. - CalvoViejo, Mar 31, 2010

thank you, I redid my pictures I actually found a picture of one french fry and then did a plate of french fries, so I guess it is la papa frita, y las papas fritas? Thanks again - Sharon-Cash, Mar 31, 2010

Answer 2

In México it's like this: "dos órdenes de papas a la francesa"

Reading carefully Sharon's question: Una orden de papas a la francesa y otras dos de papas fritas.

So if you are holding "one" piece in your hand do you say "papa a la francesa"? or is there a shorter way to say it? - Nicole-B, Mar 31, 2010

Are you still in pain from your surgery Toni? I hope you're feeling better. :) - Nicole-B, Mar 31, 2010

Well if we had 2 different kinds, for example, "papas fritas" and "papas a la francesa"... yes... "papa a la francesa", but if there's only 1 kind just "papita" - AntMexico, Mar 31, 2010

Reading carefully Sharon's question: Una orden de papas a la francesa y dos de papas fritas. - AntMexico, Mar 31, 2010