Inklingo

How to Say "nut" in Spanish

English → Spanish

nuez

/nwess//nweθ/

nounA1general
Use 'nuez' as the general term for 'nut', especially when referring to edible nuts in cooking or as a snack, and for specific types like walnuts.
A whole walnut in its shell next to a cracked open walnut showing the wrinkled nut inside.

Examples

Me gusta comer yogur con miel y nueces.

I like to eat yogurt with honey and nuts.

Para esta receta, necesitas picar las nueces muy finas.

For this recipe, you need to chop the walnuts very finely.

La cáscara de la nuez es muy dura y difícil de romper.

The walnut shell is very hard and difficult to break.

Making it Plural

When a Spanish word ends in 'z', you change the 'z' to a 'c' and add 'es' to make it more than one. So, one 'nuez' becomes many 'nueces'.

Gender Memory Aid

Even though it doesn't end in 'a', 'nuez' is feminine. You always say 'la nuez' or 'una nuez'.

Spelling the Plural

Mistake: “nuezes”

Correction: nueces. Remember that 'z' almost always turns into 'c' before an 'e' in Spanish.

fruto

/froo-toh//ˈfɾuto/

nounA2botanical/specific
Use 'fruto' in the specific phrase 'fruto seco' to refer to dried fruits and nuts as a category, or botanically as the product of a tree or plant.
A bright red apple hanging from a leafy green tree branch.

Examples

El árbol dio su primer fruto después de tres años.

The tree produced its first fruit after three years.

Las nueces son un tipo de fruto seco muy saludable.

Walnuts are a very healthy type of dried fruit/nut.

El fruto protege las semillas en su interior.

The fruit protects the seeds inside.

Fruto vs. Fruta

Use 'fruto' for the biological part of a plant (anything with seeds, like a tomato or a nut). Use 'fruta' for the sweet food you eat for dessert (like an apple or a banana).

Always Masculine

This word is always masculine, so you must use 'el' or 'un' with it, regardless of what kind of plant you are talking about.

Ordering dessert

Mistake: “Quiero un fruto de postre.”

Correction: Quiero una fruta de postre. (Because you want the sweet food, not a botanical specimen!)

General vs. Specific Use

Learners often use 'fruto' thinking it's a direct translation for 'nut'. However, 'fruto' is broader, referring to any fruit, and is most commonly used for nuts in the compound term 'fruto seco' (dried fruit/nut). For everyday eating or cooking, 'nuez' is usually the correct choice.

Related Translations

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