How do you say vegetable in Spanish?

The everyday word is verdura (behr-DOO-rah). It covers the vegetables you buy, cook, and eat. Vegetal is a broader term used in science and for plant-based products, and hortaliza refers to garden-grown vegetables.

What is the difference between verdura and hortaliza?

Verdura is the general kitchen word for vegetable — think leafy greens, carrots, peppers, and anything you would find in the produce section. Hortaliza is more specific to vegetables cultivated in a garden or small farm and is common in agricultural contexts. In daily conversation, verdura covers everything.

Is fruta a vegetable in Spanish?

Fruta and verdura are distinct categories in Spanish, just as fruit and vegetable are in English. Fruta means fruit, not vegetable. Botanically, some foods classified as verduras in the kitchen are technically fruits (like tomatoes), but in daily speech they are still called verduras.

Spanish vocabulary · Beginner

Vegetable in Spanish: Verdura, Vegetal, and Hortaliza

Written by Sofia Ramirez, Lead Spanish Curriculum Editor · Reviewed May 2026

Verdura · noun (feminine) · behr-DOO-rah

Vegetable in Spanish is verdura, the word you will hear most at markets, restaurants, and in everyday conversation about food. Vegetal is the broader botanical or scientific term that can also mean plant-based (aceite vegetal — vegetable oil). Hortaliza refers specifically to garden vegetables and appears frequently in agricultural and culinary contexts.

Verdura is behr-DOO-rah — three syllables with stress on DOO. The initial v is pronounced like a soft b in Spanish. Vegetal is beh-heh-TAHL. Hortaliza is or-tah-LEE-sah (the h is silent).

Deberías comer más verduras frescas.

You should eat more fresh vegetables.

Vegetable in Spanish: Quick Reference

Below are the most common Spanish words for vegetable, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.

Spanish	English	Pronunciation	Region / Register
verdura	vegetable	behr-DOO-rah	Default, widely understood
vegetal	vegetable		broader botanical or scientific term
hortaliza	vegetable		garden vegetable, common in agriculture and cooking

How Native Speakers Use Verdura

Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.

At the market

¿Cuáles son las verduras de temporada?

Which vegetables are in season?

Verdura is the default word for vegetables in grocery stores and farmers' markets across the Spanish-speaking world.

Scientific / botanical context

Las proteínas de origen vegetal son cada vez más populares.

Plant-based proteins are becoming increasingly popular.

Vegetal works as both a noun and an adjective. As an adjective it means plant-based or vegetable-derived.

Garden vocabulary

Mi abuela cultiva hortalizas en su huerto.

My grandmother grows vegetables in her garden.

Hortaliza specifically refers to vegetables grown in a huerto (vegetable garden). It is more precise than verdura.

Avoid These Mistakes When Using Verdura

Using vegetal for food contexts

Incorrect: Voy a preparar una sopa de vegetales.

Correct: Voy a preparar una sopa de verduras.

While vegetal is understood, verdura is the natural word for vegetables you cook and eat. Vegetal sounds overly technical in a kitchen context. Note: sopa de vegetales is heard in some regions influenced by English, but sopa de verduras is standard.

Wrong gender article

Incorrect: El verdura está muy fresca.

Correct: La verdura está muy fresca.

Verdura is a feminine noun — it ends in -a and takes the feminine article la. The plural is las verduras.

Lock in Vegetable Vocabulary with the Parrot Method

Why word lists alone don't stick

Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.

See Verdura used by native speakers

Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using verdura in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Deberías comer más verduras frescas. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.

Save, review, repeat, stay consistent

Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.

Common Questions About Vegetable in Spanish

How do you say vegetable in Spanish?: The everyday word is verdura (behr-DOO-rah). It covers the vegetables you buy, cook, and eat. Vegetal is a broader term used in science and for plant-based products, and hortaliza refers to garden-grown vegetables.
What is the difference between verdura and hortaliza?: Verdura is the general kitchen word for vegetable — think leafy greens, carrots, peppers, and anything you would find in the produce section. Hortaliza is more specific to vegetables cultivated in a garden or small farm and is common in agricultural contexts. In daily conversation, verdura covers everything.
Is fruta a vegetable in Spanish?: Fruta and verdura are distinct categories in Spanish, just as fruit and vegetable are in English. Fruta means fruit, not vegetable. Botanically, some foods classified as verduras in the kitchen are technically fruits (like tomatoes), but in daily speech they are still called verduras.