🥕 Vegetables
In this section you'll learn useful Spanish vocabulary for common vegetables, along with words for describing and preparing vegetables, shopping at the market, and talking about the vegetables you like.
🟢 Common Vegetables
🥕 Carrot → Zanahoria
🥔 Potato → Papa / Patata
🍅 Tomato → Tomate
🥬 Lettuce → Lechuga
🧅 Onion → Cebolla
🌽 Corn → Maíz
🥦 Broccoli → Brócoli
🥒 Cucumber → Pepino
🟡 More Vegetable Vocabulary
🌶️ Bell pepper → Pimiento / Pimentón
🧄 Garlic → Ajo
🍄 Mushroom → Champiñón
🥬 Spinach → Espinaca
🍆 Eggplant → Berenjena
🫛 Peas → Guisantes / Arvejas
🫘 Beans → Frijoles / Judías
🥗 Salad → Ensalada
🔪 Preparing Vegetables
💧 To wash → Lavar
🥕 To peel → Pelar
🔪 To cut → Cortar
🧅 To chop → Picar
🍲 To boil → Hervir
🍳 To fry → Freír
👨🍳 To cook → Cocinar
🥗 To mix → Mezclar
🥗 Describing Vegetables
✨ Fresh → Fresco / Fresca
🥒 Crunchy → Crujiente
🌶️ Spicy → Picante
🧅 Strong → Fuerte
🍅 Ripe → Maduro / Madura
😋 Delicious → Delicioso / Deliciosa
🛒 Buying Vegetables at the Market
🍅 Quisiera un kilo de tomates, por favor.
I would like a kilo of tomatoes, please.
I would like a kilo of tomatoes, please.
🥕 ¿Cuánto cuestan las zanahorias?
How much are the carrots?
How much are the carrots?
🥬 ¿Tiene lechuga fresca?
Do you have fresh lettuce?
Do you have fresh lettuce?
🥔 Necesito dos kilos de papas.
I need two kilos of potatoes.
I need two kilos of potatoes.
🥦 Me llevo este brócoli.
I'll take this broccoli.
I'll take this broccoli.
🧅 Deme tres cebollas, por favor.
Give me three onions, please.
Give me three onions, please.
🧠 Useful Language Tip: Singular and Plural
When talking about one vegetable, use the singular form:
Necesito una cebolla.
I need an onion.
Necesito una cebolla.
I need an onion.
When talking about more than one, remember to use the plural form:
Necesito tres cebollas.
I need three onions.
Necesito tres cebollas.
I need three onions.
Adjectives also need to agree with the noun:
El tomate está maduro.
Las zanahorias están frescas.
El tomate está maduro.
Las zanahorias están frescas.
🌎 Regional Vocabulary Tip
The word for potato varies by region. Papa is widely used in Latin America, while patata is the usual word in Spain.
Vegetable names can vary considerably across the Spanish-speaking world. For example, you may hear guisantes, arvejas, or other regional words for "peas."
Words for beans also vary by country. Common terms include frijoles, judías, habichuelas, and porotos.
💬 Everyday Vegetable Phrases
🥗 La ensalada está fresca y deliciosa.
The salad is fresh and delicious.
The salad is fresh and delicious.
🍅 Necesito tomates maduros para la salsa.
I need ripe tomatoes for the sauce.
I need ripe tomatoes for the sauce.
🥕 Voy a cortar las zanahorias.
I'm going to cut the carrots.
I'm going to cut the carrots.
🧅 Necesito picar una cebolla.
I need to chop an onion.
I need to chop an onion.
🥒 El pepino está fresco y crujiente.
The cucumber is fresh and crunchy.
The cucumber is fresh and crunchy.
🥔 Primero hay que pelar las papas.
First, you have to peel the potatoes.
First, you have to peel the potatoes.
💬 Everyday Conversations
At the market
A: ¿Cuánto cuestan los tomates?
B: Cuestan dos euros el kilo.
A: How much are the tomatoes?
B: They cost two euros per kilo.
A: ¿Cuánto cuestan los tomates?
B: Cuestan dos euros el kilo.
A: How much are the tomatoes?
B: They cost two euros per kilo.
Making a salad
A: ¿Qué necesitamos para la ensalada?
B: Necesitamos lechuga, tomate y pepino.
A: What do we need for the salad?
B: We need lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.
A: ¿Qué necesitamos para la ensalada?
B: Necesitamos lechuga, tomate y pepino.
A: What do we need for the salad?
B: We need lettuce, tomato, and cucumber.
Preparing dinner
A: ¿Puedes cortar las verduras?
B: Sí. Voy a cortar las zanahorias y la cebolla.
A: Can you cut the vegetables?
B: Yes. I'm going to cut the carrots and the onion.
A: ¿Puedes cortar las verduras?
B: Sí. Voy a cortar las zanahorias y la cebolla.
A: Can you cut the vegetables?
B: Yes. I'm going to cut the carrots and the onion.
📝 Example Sentences
🥦 Voy a cocinar el brócoli para la cena.
I'm going to cook the broccoli for dinner.
I'm going to cook the broccoli for dinner.
🧅 La cebolla tiene un sabor fuerte.
The onion has a strong flavor.
The onion has a strong flavor.
🥒 El pepino está fresco y crujiente.
The cucumber is fresh and crunchy.
The cucumber is fresh and crunchy.
🧄 Uso ajo fresco para cocinar.
I use fresh garlic for cooking.
I use fresh garlic for cooking.
🥕 Primero lavo y corto las zanahorias.
First, I wash and cut the carrots.
First, I wash and cut the carrots.
🥗 Preparamos una ensalada para acompañar la cena.
We prepare a salad to go with dinner.
We prepare a salad to go with dinner.
🏆 Final Practice
Try saying each phrase before pressing play.
- Necesito tomates maduros.
- ¿Cuánto cuestan las zanahorias?
- Quisiera un kilo de papas.
- Voy a cortar las verduras.
- ¿Tiene lechuga fresca?
- Necesito picar una cebolla.