A simple illustration showing a small pile of common fruits, including a red apple, a yellow banana, a bunch of green grapes, and a round orange.

frutas

FROO-tahs

nounfA1

fruits?edible produce

📝 In Action

Necesito comprar más frutas para hacer la ensalada.

I need to buy more fruits to make the salad.

Las frutas de verano son mis favoritas, especialmente las fresas.

Summer fruits are my favorite, especially strawberries.

El médico me dijo que debo comer cinco porciones de frutas y verduras al día.

The doctor told me I should eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

Word Connections

Synonyms

productos frescos (fresh produce)

Common Collocations

ensalada de frutas – fruit salad
jugo de frutas – fruit juice
temporada de frutas – fruit season

Idioms & Expressions

pedir peras al olmo – To ask for the impossible (literally: to ask for pears from an elm tree)

💡 Grammar Points

Feminine Plural

Since 'fruta' ends in '-a', it is a feminine word. Because 'frutas' refers to multiple items, we use the feminine plural articles and adjectives (e.g., 'las frutas', 'muchas frutas').

Singular vs. Plural Concept

In Spanish, you often use the singular 'fruta' when talking about the food group in general, like 'Me gusta comer fruta' (I like to eat fruit), but use 'frutas' when referring to specific types or multiple pieces.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Incorrect Gender

Mistake: "Los frutas son deliciosas."

Correction: Las frutas son deliciosas. Remember to match the article ('las') to the feminine noun ('frutas').

⭐ Usage Tips

Ordering at a Market

If you are buying fruit, you can simply ask, '¿Cuánto cuestan estas frutas?' (How much do these fruits cost?), or specify the type: 'Quiero un kilo de manzanas' (I want a kilo of apples).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: frutas

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses the Spanish word for 'fruits' when referring to a general food category?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

fruta(fruit (singular)) - noun

frutería(fruit store) - noun

frutal(fruit-bearing (adjective)) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is 'frutas' feminine when many food words are masculine (like 'el pan' or 'el queso')?

Most Spanish nouns that end in the letter -a are feminine, and 'fruta' follows this very common pattern. You will almost always use feminine articles ('la', 'las') and feminine adjectives with it.