Hungry to learn Spanish? Let’s start with the words you’ll use all the time when shopping, cooking, or ordering: fruits and vegetables. In this A1 guide, you’ll learn essential vocabulary, simple grammar (articles, plurals, color agreement), and real-life phrases you can use at the market today. Practice as you go—small bites, big progress!

Essential fruits (las frutas)

Below are common fruit words you will find on menus and in markets. Learn the article (el or la), because Spanish nouns have gender.

Quick practice: liking fruits

Use the pattern “Me gusta + singular” and “Me gustan + plural.” Don’t worry about the verb yet—just copy the pattern.

Try it yourself: fill in the blank with the right fruit.

Me gusta la .

Me gustan las .

Vegetables (las verduras)

These are everyday vegetables you’ll hear often. Notice the article (el/la) and practice saying each word aloud.

Grammar: gender, articles, and plurals (super important!)

el manzana → la manzana Manzana is feminine, so use la/una. una tomate rojo → un tomate rojo Tomate is masculine; rojo must match masculine singular.

Mini-quiz: match meaning and choose correct articles

Choose the best answer. Then read the explanation to learn why.

Using a key verb: comer (to eat)

This regular verb helps you talk about what you eat. Notice the pattern for -er verbs.

Practice: put the words in order to make a natural sentence.

Colors with food

Color words help you describe produce. Focus on two common ones:

• rojo/roja/rojos/rojas = red
• verde/verdes = green Now build simple descriptions: article + noun + color.

Fill the blanks with the correct article and word. Think gender and plural!

Quiero tomate rojo.

Compramos zanahorias.

Real-life: at the market (en el mercado)

Reorder the conversation to make a natural flow. Spanish is shown with an English translation.

Culture bites

• “plátano” vs “banana”: Both mean “banana.” Plátano is common in many Spanish-speaking countries; banana is widely understood.
• “papa” vs “patata”: In Latin America, you’ll hear papa (potato). In Spain, patata.
• Shop words you’ll see:
  • el mercado = market
  • la frutería = fruit shop
  • la verdulería = vegetable shop

Tiny phrases you can use today

These are handy and simple. Say them at the market or in a grocery store.

Final check: quick meaning quiz

Test a few words to lock them in.

Wrap-up and next steps

You learned core fruit and vegetable words, how articles (el/la, un/una) work, how to make plurals, and how to describe produce with colors. Keep practicing by labeling items in your kitchen and making simple sentences:

• Un tomate rojo.
• Me gustan las uvas.
• Comemos verduras. A little every day goes a long way. ¡Buen trabajo! Keep your list handy and you’ll sound confident at the market in no time.