Spanish · Food & Drink
"Tomato" in Spanish: tomate
el tomate
A tomato is el tomate (toh-MAH-teh). It is masculine: un tomate, los tomates. You will meet tomate in salsa, salads, and stews.
Making salsa
Pica dos tomates para la salsa.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce tomate
Say it
toh-MAH-teh
/toˈma.te/
toh-MAH-teh. Stress MAH. Clean taps. Tomate ends in a short eh.
"Tomato" in Spanish: quick reference
| Spanish | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| el tomate | the tomato Default word for the fruit/vegetable. | Default word for the fruit/vegetable. |
| el jitomate | red tomato (Mexico) In much of Mexico, jitomate is the big red tomato; tomate can mean green husk tomato. | In much of Mexico, jitomate is the big red tomato; tomate can mean green husk tomato. |
| la salsa de tomate | tomato sauce Cooked sauce; not always the same as salsa fresca. | Cooked sauce; not always the same as salsa fresca. |
| el tomate cherry | cherry tomato Small variety on salads. | Small variety on salads. |
How to use tomate in real life
- 1Making salsa
Pica dos tomates para la salsa.
Chop two tomatoes for the salsa.
Fresh salsa starts with ripe tomate.
- 2At the market
¿Cuánto cuesta el kilo de tomate?
How much is a kilo of tomato?
Sold by weight like other produce.
- 3Ordering a salad
Una ensalada con tomate y cebolla.
A salad with tomato and onion.
Simple restaurant request.
Mistakes English speakers make with tomate
Incorrect: La tomate está madura.
Correct: El tomate está maduro.
Tomate is masculine. Use el tomate and maduro.
Incorrect: Necesito tomato para la sopa.
Correct: Necesito tomate para la sopa.
Use tomate, not the English word tomato.
Good to know
In central Mexico, shoppers often say jitomate for the red salad tomato and reserve tomate for tomatillo (the green husk tomato). Elsewhere in Latin America, tomate is the everyday red fruit. Spain also says tomate.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Shopping for salsa ingredients
ChatPal
¿Tomate rojo o verde?
Red tomato or green?
You
Rojo. Dos kilos de tomate.
Red. Two kilos of tomato.
ChatPal
Este tomate está firme.
This tomato is firm.
You
Perfecto para salsa.
Perfect for salsa.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Tomato" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Tomato" in Spanish
Is tomate masculine or feminine?
Masculine: el tomate, un tomate, tomates maduros.
What is jitomate?
In much of Mexico, jitomate means the red tomato. Tomate may mean tomatillo there.
How do you pronounce tomate?
toh-MAH-teh with stress on MAH.
How do I say tomato sauce?
Salsa de tomate for cooked sauce. Fresh chopped salsa is just salsa.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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