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- "Is the tomato a vegetable?"
"Is the tomato a vegetable?"
Translation:Il pomodoro è una verdura?
May 25, 2013
19 Comments
No, not exactly; "vegetale" refers to any of the vegetable life-forms, so it could refer to any plant, including algae and trees, as well as their fruits and roots. Verdura instead literally means "the greens" and usually refers to the edible leaves (such as lettuce or spinach) and flowers (like artichoke or broccoli), especially when used as garnish or salad; it can sometimes refer to roots (carrots, potatoes) and fruits of the field (tomatoes, eggplants) as well, although they're technically "ortaggi".
Molotok
93
So, I'm guessing "frutta" primarily refers to apples, bananas, grapes, and so forth, or would one have a similar argument in Italian about whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable?