tomates
/toh-MAH-tehs/
tomatoes
Tomates refers to the red fruit commonly used in cooking.
tomates(noun)
tomatoes
?the red fruit used as a vegetable in cooking
tomato plants
?the plants that produce the fruit
π In Action
Necesito comprar tres tomates grandes para la ensalada.
A1I need to buy three large tomatoes for the salad.
Los tomates de este mercado son muy dulces.
A1The tomatoes from this market are very sweet.
π‘ Grammar Points
Making it plural
Since 'tomate' ends in a vowel (e), you simply add an 's' to make it plural: 'tomates'.
β Common Pitfalls
Tomates vs. Tomaste
Mistake: "Using 'tomates' to mean 'you took'."
Correction: Use 'tomaste' for 'you took' and 'tomates' for the food. They sound similar but have very different meanings!
β Usage Tips
Gender memory
Even though it ends in 'e', 'tomates' is masculine. Remember to use masculine words with it: 'los tomates' or 'estos tomates'.
In some contexts, tomates can also mean holes in the heels or toes of socks.
π In Action
Tira esos calcetines, que tienen unos tomates enormes.
B2Throw those socks away, they have huge holes in them.
π‘ Grammar Points
Descriptive Slang
In Spanish, people often name things based on what they look like. A round hole in a sock looks like a tomato, hence the name!
β Usage Tips
When to use this
Only use this meaning in very casual settings with friends or family when talking about old clothes.
βοΈ Quick Practice
π‘ Quick Quiz: tomates
Question 1 of 2
If someone in Spain says your socks have 'tomates', what do they mean?
π More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'tomates' masculine or feminine?
It is masculine. You should always use 'los' or 'unos' with it.
What is the singular form?
The singular form is 'tomate'.