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47. Vegetables & Fruit

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Vocabulary

野菜 (やさい) yasai

vegetable(s)

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

野菜が好きですか。
Yasai ga suki desu ka. — Do you like vegetables?
この野菜はおいしいです。
Kono yasai wa oishii desu. — These vegetables are delicious.
毎日野菜を食べます。
Mainichi yasai o tabemasu. — I eat vegetables every day.
果物 (くだもの) kudamono

fruit

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

果物を買いました。
Kudamono o kaimashita. — I bought some fruit.
どの果物が好きですか。
Dono kudamono ga suki desu ka. — Which fruit do you like?
この果物は高いです。
Kono kudamono wa takai desu. — This fruit is expensive.
りんご ringo

apple

Noun

A word for a person, place, thing, or idea.

りんごを一つください。
Ringo o hitotsu kudasai. — One apple, please.
このりんごは大きいですね。
Kono ringo wa ookii desu ne. — This apple is big, isn't it!
りんごが一つあります。
Ringo ga hitotsu arimasu. — There is one apple.

Cultural Notes

Fruit as Gifts in Japan

In Japan, fruit is often given as a fancy gift. Department stores sell beautifully wrapped single melons or boxes of strawberries for surprisingly high prices. When you see 果物 at a デパート, it might cost way more than at a スーパー - that's because gift-quality fruit is selected for perfect shape and sweetness.

みかん - Japan's Winter Snack

みかん are everywhere in winter. They're sold in big nets at every スーパー, and families buy them by the box. They're cheap, easy to peel, and practically a national comfort food from December to February.

砂糖 and 塩 - Watch the Mix-Up

砂糖 and 塩 look almost identical in Japanese kitchens - both are white and stored in similar containers. Mixing them up is such a common mistake that many Japanese households label their containers clearly. If someone's cooking tastes strange, the first question is often whether they grabbed the wrong one!