🥕 Vegetables

⏱ 12 min read

In this section you'll learn useful English vocabulary for common vegetables, along with words for describing and preparing vegetables, shopping at the market, and talking about the vegetables you like. Each English word or phrase includes translations in Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese.

🟢 Common Vegetables

🥕 Carrot

🇪🇸 Spanish: Zanahoria
🇫🇷 French: Carotte
🇩🇪 German: Karotte
🇮🇹 Italian: Carota
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cenoura

🥔 Potato

🇪🇸 Spanish: Papa / Patata
🇫🇷 French: Pomme de terre
🇩🇪 German: Kartoffel
🇮🇹 Italian: Patata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Batata

🍅 Tomato

🇪🇸 Spanish: Tomate
🇫🇷 French: Tomate
🇩🇪 German: Tomate
🇮🇹 Italian: Pomodoro
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Tomate

🥬 Lettuce

🇪🇸 Spanish: Lechuga
🇫🇷 French: Laitue
🇩🇪 German: Salat
🇮🇹 Italian: Lattuga
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Alface

🧅 Onion

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cebolla
🇫🇷 French: Oignon
🇩🇪 German: Zwiebel
🇮🇹 Italian: Cipolla
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cebola

🌽 Corn

🇪🇸 Spanish: Maíz
🇫🇷 French: Maïs
🇩🇪 German: Mais
🇮🇹 Italian: Mais
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Milho

🥦 Broccoli

🇪🇸 Spanish: Brócoli
🇫🇷 French: Brocoli
🇩🇪 German: Brokkoli
🇮🇹 Italian: Broccoli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Brócolis

🥒 Cucumber

🇪🇸 Spanish: Pepino
🇫🇷 French: Concombre
🇩🇪 German: Gurke
🇮🇹 Italian: Cetriolo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pepino

🟡 More Vegetable Vocabulary

🌶️ Bell pepper

🇪🇸 Spanish: Pimiento / Pimentón
🇫🇷 French: Poivron
🇩🇪 German: Paprika
🇮🇹 Italian: Peperone
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Pimentão

🧄 Garlic

🇪🇸 Spanish: Ajo
🇫🇷 French: Ail
🇩🇪 German: Knoblauch
🇮🇹 Italian: Aglio
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Alho

🍄 Mushroom

🇪🇸 Spanish: Champiñón
🇫🇷 French: Champignon
🇩🇪 German: Pilz
🇮🇹 Italian: Fungo
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cogumelo

🥬 Spinach

🇪🇸 Spanish: Espinaca
🇫🇷 French: Épinards
🇩🇪 German: Spinat
🇮🇹 Italian: Spinaci
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Espinafre

🍆 Eggplant

🇪🇸 Spanish: Berenjena
🇫🇷 French: Aubergine
🇩🇪 German: Aubergine
🇮🇹 Italian: Melanzana
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Berinjela

🫛 Peas

🇪🇸 Spanish: Guisantes / Arvejas
🇫🇷 French: Petits pois
🇩🇪 German: Erbsen
🇮🇹 Italian: Piselli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ervilhas

🫘 Beans

🇪🇸 Spanish: Frijoles / Judías
🇫🇷 French: Haricots
🇩🇪 German: Bohnen
🇮🇹 Italian: Fagioli
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Feijão

🥗 Salad

🇪🇸 Spanish: Ensalada
🇫🇷 French: Salade
🇩🇪 German: Salat
🇮🇹 Italian: Insalata
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Salada

🔪 Preparing Vegetables

💧 To wash

🇪🇸 Spanish: Lavar
🇫🇷 French: Laver
🇩🇪 German: Waschen
🇮🇹 Italian: Lavare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Lavar

🥕 To peel

🇪🇸 Spanish: Pelar
🇫🇷 French: Éplucher
🇩🇪 German: Schälen
🇮🇹 Italian: Sbucciare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Descascar

🔪 To cut

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cortar
🇫🇷 French: Couper
🇩🇪 German: Schneiden
🇮🇹 Italian: Tagliare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cortar

🧅 To chop

🇪🇸 Spanish: Picar
🇫🇷 French: Hacher
🇩🇪 German: Hacken
🇮🇹 Italian: Tritare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Picar

🍲 To boil

🇪🇸 Spanish: Hervir
🇫🇷 French: Bouillir
🇩🇪 German: Kochen
🇮🇹 Italian: Bollire
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Ferver

🍳 To fry

🇪🇸 Spanish: Freír
🇫🇷 French: Frire
🇩🇪 German: Braten
🇮🇹 Italian: Friggere
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fritar

👨‍🍳 To cook

🇪🇸 Spanish: Cocinar
🇫🇷 French: Cuisiner
🇩🇪 German: Kochen
🇮🇹 Italian: Cucinare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Cozinhar

🥗 To mix

🇪🇸 Spanish: Mezclar
🇫🇷 French: Mélanger
🇩🇪 German: Mischen
🇮🇹 Italian: Mescolare
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Misturar

🥗 Describing Vegetables

✨ Fresh

🇪🇸 Spanish: Fresco / Fresca
🇫🇷 French: Frais / Fraîche
🇩🇪 German: Frisch
🇮🇹 Italian: Fresco / Fresca
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Fresco / Fresca

🥒 Crunchy

🇪🇸 Spanish: Crujiente
🇫🇷 French: Croquant
🇩🇪 German: Knackig
🇮🇹 Italian: Croccante
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Crocante

🌶️ Spicy

🇪🇸 Spanish: Picante
🇫🇷 French: Épicé
🇩🇪 German: Scharf
🇮🇹 Italian: Piccante
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Picante

🧅 Strong

🇪🇸 Spanish: Fuerte
🇫🇷 French: Fort
🇩🇪 German: Stark
🇮🇹 Italian: Forte
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Forte

🍅 Ripe

🇪🇸 Spanish: Maduro / Madura
🇫🇷 French: Mûr / Mûre
🇩🇪 German: Reif
🇮🇹 Italian: Maturo / Matura
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Maduro / Madura

😋 Delicious

🇪🇸 Spanish: Delicioso / Deliciosa
🇫🇷 French: Délicieux / Délicieuse
🇩🇪 German: Lecker
🇮🇹 Italian: Delizioso / Deliziosa
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Delicioso / Deliciosa

🛒 Buying Vegetables at the Market

🍅 I'd like a kilo of tomatoes, please.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Quisiera un kilo de tomates, por favor.
🇫🇷 French: Je voudrais un kilo de tomates, s'il vous plaît.
🇩🇪 German: Ich hätte gern ein Kilo Tomaten, bitte.
🇮🇹 Italian: Vorrei un chilo di pomodori, per favore.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Gostaria de um quilo de tomates, por favor.

🥕 How much are the carrots?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Cuánto cuestan las zanahorias?
🇫🇷 French: Combien coûtent les carottes ?
🇩🇪 German: Wie viel kosten die Karotten?
🇮🇹 Italian: Quanto costano le carote?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Quanto custam as cenouras?

🥬 Do you have fresh lettuce?

🇪🇸 Spanish: ¿Tiene lechuga fresca?
🇫🇷 French: Avez-vous de la laitue fraîche ?
🇩🇪 German: Haben Sie frischen Salat?
🇮🇹 Italian: Avete della lattuga fresca?
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Você tem alface fresca?

🥔 I need two kilos of potatoes.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Necesito dos kilos de papas.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai besoin de deux kilos de pommes de terre.
🇩🇪 German: Ich brauche zwei Kilo Kartoffeln.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho bisogno di due chili di patate.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Preciso de dois quilos de batatas.

🥦 I'll take this broccoli.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Me llevo este brócoli.
🇫🇷 French: Je prends ce brocoli.
🇩🇪 German: Ich nehme diesen Brokkoli.
🇮🇹 Italian: Prendo questo broccolo.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vou levar este brócolis.

🧅 Please give me three onions.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Deme tres cebollas, por favor.
🇫🇷 French: Donnez-moi trois oignons, s'il vous plaît.
🇩🇪 German: Geben Sie mir bitte drei Zwiebeln.
🇮🇹 Italian: Mi dia tre cipolle, per favore.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Dê-me três cebolas, por favor.

🧠 Useful Language Tip

English nouns change form to show singular and plural.

I need one onion.
🇪🇸 Necesito una cebolla.
🇫🇷 J'ai besoin d'un oignon.
🇩🇪 Ich brauche eine Zwiebel.
🇮🇹 Ho bisogno di una cipolla.
🇵🇹 Preciso de uma cebola.

For more than one vegetable, use the plural form.

I need three onions.
🇪🇸 Necesito tres cebollas.
🇫🇷 J'ai besoin de trois oignons.
🇩🇪 Ich brauche drei Zwiebeln.
🇮🇹 Ho bisogno di tre cipolle.
🇵🇹 Preciso de três cebolas.

English adjectives do not change for singular, plural, masculine, or feminine nouns.

The tomato is ripe.
The carrots are fresh.

Beginner Tip: Unlike Spanish, English adjectives stay the same. We say fresh tomato and fresh carrots, the adjective never changes.

🌎 English Usage Tip

English uses the word potato everywhere. Unlike Spanish, there aren't different standard regional words such as papa and patata.

Some vegetable names differ between American and British English. For example, Americans usually say eggplant, while British English commonly uses aubergine.

When shopping, English speakers commonly ask for vegetables by weight ("a kilo of tomatoes" or "a pound of potatoes") or by quantity ("three onions" or "two cucumbers").

💬 Everyday Vegetable Phrases

🥗 The salad is fresh and delicious.

🇪🇸 Spanish: La ensalada está fresca y deliciosa.
🇫🇷 French: La salade est fraîche et délicieuse.
🇩🇪 German: Der Salat ist frisch und lecker.
🇮🇹 Italian: L'insalata è fresca e deliziosa.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A salada está fresca e deliciosa.

🍅 I need ripe tomatoes for the sauce.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Necesito tomates maduros para la salsa.
🇫🇷 French: J'ai besoin de tomates mûres pour la sauce.
🇩🇪 German: Ich brauche reife Tomaten für die Soße.
🇮🇹 Italian: Ho bisogno di pomodori maturi per la salsa.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Preciso de tomates maduros para o molho.

🥕 I'm going to cut the carrots.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Voy a cortar las zanahorias.
🇫🇷 French: Je vais couper les carottes.
🇩🇪 German: Ich werde die Karotten schneiden.
🇮🇹 Italian: Taglierò le carote.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vou cortar as cenouras.

🧅 I need to chop an onion.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Necesito picar una cebolla.
🇫🇷 French: Je dois hacher un oignon.
🇩🇪 German: Ich muss eine Zwiebel hacken.
🇮🇹 Italian: Devo tritare una cipolla.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Preciso picar uma cebola.

🥒 The cucumber is fresh and crunchy.

🇪🇸 Spanish: El pepino está fresco y crujiente.
🇫🇷 French: Le concombre est frais et croquant.
🇩🇪 German: Die Gurke ist frisch und knackig.
🇮🇹 Italian: Il cetriolo è fresco e croccante.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: O pepino está fresco e crocante.

🥔 First, you have to peel the potatoes.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Primero hay que pelar las papas.
🇫🇷 French: D'abord, il faut éplucher les pommes de terre.
🇩🇪 German: Zuerst muss man die Kartoffeln schälen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Prima bisogna sbucciare le patate.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Primeiro é preciso descascar as batatas.

💬 Everyday Conversations

At the market

A: How much are the tomatoes?
B: They're two euros per kilo.

🇪🇸 A: ¿Cuánto cuestan los tomates?
🇪🇸 B: Cuestan dos euros el kilo.

🇫🇷 A: Combien coûtent les tomates ?
🇫🇷 B: Elles coûtent deux euros le kilo.

🇩🇪 A: Wie viel kosten die Tomaten?
🇩🇪 B: Sie kosten zwei Euro pro Kilo.

🇮🇹 A: Quanto costano i pomodori?
🇮🇹 B: Costano due euro al chilo.

🇵🇹 A: Quanto custam os tomates?
🇵🇹 B: Custam dois euros o quilo.

Making a salad

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: De quoi avons-nous besoin pour la salade ?
🇫🇷 B: Nous avons besoin de laitue, de tomates et de concombre.

🇩🇪 A: Was brauchen wir für den Salat?
🇩🇪 B: Wir brauchen Salat, Tomaten und Gurken.

🇮🇹 A: Di cosa abbiamo bisogno per l'insalata?
🇮🇹 B: Abbiamo bisogno di lattuga, pomodoro e cetriolo.

🇵🇹 A: O que precisamos para a salada?
🇵🇹 B: Precisamos de alface, tomate e pepino.

Preparing dinner

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: Peux-tu couper les légumes ?
🇫🇷 B: Oui. Je vais couper les carottes et l'oignon.

🇩🇪 A: Kannst du das Gemüse schneiden?
🇩🇪 B: Ja. Ich schneide die Karotten und die Zwiebel.

🇮🇹 A: Puoi tagliare le verdure?
🇮🇹 B: Sì. Taglierò le carote e la cipolla.

🇵🇹 A: Você pode cortar os legumes?
🇵🇹 B: Sim. Vou cortar as cenouras e a cebola.

📝 Example Sentences

🥦 I'm going to cook the broccoli for dinner.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Voy a cocinar el brócoli para la cena.
🇫🇷 French: Je vais cuisiner le brocoli pour le dîner.
🇩🇪 German: Ich werde den Brokkoli zum Abendessen kochen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Cucinerò i broccoli per cena.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Vou cozinhar o brócolis para o jantar.

🧅 The onion has a strong flavor.

🇪🇸 Spanish: La cebolla tiene un sabor fuerte.
🇫🇷 French: L'oignon a une saveur forte.
🇩🇪 German: Die Zwiebel hat einen starken Geschmack.
🇮🇹 Italian: La cipolla ha un sapore forte.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: A cebola tem um sabor forte.

🧄 I use fresh garlic for cooking.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Uso ajo fresco para cocinar.
🇫🇷 French: J'utilise de l'ail frais pour cuisiner.
🇩🇪 German: Ich verwende frischen Knoblauch zum Kochen.
🇮🇹 Italian: Uso aglio fresco per cucinare.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Uso alho fresco para cozinhar.

🥕 First, I wash and cut the carrots.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Primero lavo y corto las zanahorias.
🇫🇷 French: D'abord, je lave et coupe les carottes.
🇩🇪 German: Zuerst wasche und schneide ich die Karotten.
🇮🇹 Italian: Prima lavo e taglio le carote.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Primeiro lavo e corto as cenouras.

🥗 We prepare a salad to go with dinner.

🇪🇸 Spanish: Preparamos una ensalada para acompañar la cena.
🇫🇷 French: Nous préparons une salade pour accompagner le dîner.
🇩🇪 German: Wir bereiten einen Salat als Beilage zum Abendessen zu.
🇮🇹 Italian: Prepariamo un'insalata per accompagnare la cena.
🇵🇹 Portuguese: Preparamos uma salada para acompanhar o jantar.

🏆 Final Practice

Try saying each English phrase before pressing play.

I need ripe tomatoes.
How much are the carrots?
I'd like a kilo of potatoes, please.
I'm going to cut the vegetables.
Do you have fresh lettuce?
I need to chop an onion.