Fruits are plant foods that usually grow from flowers and contain seeds. In everyday English, we call something a fruit when it is sweet or used in desserts, snacks, and juices. Fruit can be eaten fresh, dried, or cooked, and it is often described by color, taste, and ripeness.

Vegetables are plant foods that come from many parts of a plant, such as roots, leaves, stems, or flowers. In everyday English, vegetables are usually less sweet and are often used in savory meals like salads, soups, and side dishes. Vegetable words are commonly grouped by the part of the plant we eat or by how we cook them.

English speakers often organize fruit and vegetables by how we use them in meals, not by strict biology. This helps you choose the right word in a grocery store or restaurant, because it matches how people talk. Common categories include berries, citrus, leafy greens, root vegetables, and herbs.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
leafy greens	🥗 绿叶蔬菜	vegetables with edible leaves	🍃 可食用叶子的蔬菜	I added leafy greens to the salad.	🗣️ 我把叶菜放进沙拉里。
root vegetables	🥕 根类蔬菜	vegetables that grow underground	🌱 生长在地下的蔬菜	Root vegetables are great for roasting.	🗣️ 根类蔬菜很适合烤制。
citrus	🍊 柑橘类	fruits with a bright, tangy flavor and thick peel	🍋 味道鲜明、酸甜且外皮厚的水果	Citrus fruits are high in vitamin C.	🗣️ 柑橘类水果富含维生素C。
berries	🍓 浆果	small, soft fruits often eaten fresh	🍇 小而柔软、常生吃的水果	We bought berries for breakfast.	🗣️ 我们买了浆果作为早饭。
herbs	🌿 香草	aromatic leaves used for flavor	🪴 用于增添风味的芳香叶子	I used fresh herbs in the sauce.	🗣️ 我在酱汁中放了新鲜香草。

Most fruit and vegetable words are countable nouns, so you can use a or an and make plurals. This is useful for shopping, ordering, and describing quantity. Some items are commonly talked about in pieces, while others are often grouped in containers.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use a or an with one item	📏 对一个物品使用 a 或 an	I ate an apple.	🗣️ 我吃了一个苹果。
Use plural -s for more than one	🔢 对多于一个时使用复数 -s	We bought three bananas.	🗣️ 我们买了三根香蕉。
Use a container word for groups	🧺 用表示容器的词语来表示整组	A bunch of grapes, a bag of oranges.	🗣️ 一串葡萄，一袋橙子。
Use some for an unspecified amount	🧾 用 some 表示不确定数量	I need some tomatoes.	🗣️ 我需要一些番茄。

To describe fruit and vegetables naturally, English often uses adjectives for freshness, ripeness, texture, and taste. These adjectives help you explain what you want and how something looks or feels. They also appear frequently in recipes and grocery labels.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
ripe	🍏 熟透	ready to eat, fully developed	✅ 可以食用，完全成熟	These peaches are ripe.	🗣️ 这些桃子熟了。
unripe	🥭 未熟	not ready to eat yet	⏳ 还没成熟	The avocado is still unripe.	🗣️ 牛油果还没有熟。
fresh	🥬 新鲜	recently picked or in good condition	🌿 最近采摘的或状况良好	Do you have fresh spinach?	🗣️ 你有新鲜的菠菜吗？
crunchy	🥕 脆	makes a crisp sound when eaten	🦷 吃起来咔嗒作响	The carrots are really crunchy.	🗣️ 这些胡萝卜真的很脆。
juicy	🍋 多汁	full of liquid	💧 充满汁液	This orange is very juicy.	🗣️ 这个橙子非常多汁。
bitter	🧅 苦	sharp, not sweet	😖 尖锐、不是甜味	Some greens can taste bitter.	🗣️ 有些绿叶蔬菜尝起来苦。

When buying fruit and vegetables, English uses common questions about price, quantity, and quality. These phrases help you interact with store staff and understand what people say at markets. They also help you request a specific amount or type.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
How much is this?	🛒 这个多少钱？	asks for the price	💲 询问价格	How much are the strawberries?	🗣️ 草莓多少钱？
by the pound	⚖️ 以磅计价	priced per unit of weight	📏 按重量单位定价	Apples are $2 a pound.	🗣️ 苹果每磅2美元。
Do you have any…?	📦 你们有……吗？	asks if something is available	🔎 询问是否有货	Do you have any ripe bananas?	🗣️ 你们有熟透的香蕉吗？
I’m looking for…	✅ 我在找……	says what you want to buy	🎯 指出你想买的东西	I’m looking for fresh basil.	🗣️ 我在找新鲜罗勒。
I’ll take…	🧾 我想要……	confirms what you will buy	🛍️ 确认你将购买的物品	I’ll take two tomatoes.	🗣️ 我想要两个番茄。

Fruit is often used in sweet dishes, breakfast, snacks, and drinks, while vegetables are common in savory meals. Knowing the typical meal context helps you choose the natural word and understand menus. Some items can appear in both sweet and savory dishes depending on the recipe.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
fruit salad	🥣 水果沙拉	mixed fruit served cold	🍇 冷食的混合水果	We had fruit salad for breakfast.	🗣️ 我们早餐吃了水果沙拉。
smoothie	🥤 果昔	blended drink often with fruit	🧊 常含水果的混合饮品	She made a mango smoothie.	🗣️ 她做了芒果果昔。
side salad	🥗 侧沙拉	vegetables served with a meal	🥬 配餐的蔬菜	I’ll have a side salad.	🗣️ 我想来一份侧沙拉。
vegetable soup	🍲 蔬菜汤	soup made mostly with vegetables	🥕 以蔬菜为主的汤	Vegetable soup is on the menu.	🗣️ 蔬菜汤在菜单上。
roasted vegetables	🥘 烤蔬菜	vegetables cooked in the oven	🔥 放入烤箱烹制的蔬菜	Roasted vegetables go well with chicken.	🗣️ 烤蔬菜配鸡肉味道很好。

Some foods can be confusing because biology and everyday English do not match. In daily speech, tomato, cucumber, pepper, and avocado are often called vegetables because they are used in savory dishes. Learning this helps you sound natural even if you know the scientific classification.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
In cooking, tomato is usually treated as a vegetable	🍅 在烹饪中，番茄通常被视为蔬菜	Add chopped tomato to the salad.	🗣️ 将切碎的番茄加入沙拉。
Cucumber and peppers are often called vegetables in stores	🥒 黄瓜和辣椒在商店里常被称为蔬菜	The vegetables are in aisle three.	🗣️ 那些蔬菜在货架三号通道。
Avocado is a fruit but often used like a vegetable	🥑 牛油果是水果，但常用于蔬菜的用途	I put avocado on my sandwich.	🗣️ 我把牛油果放在我的三明治上。

Fruit and vegetable words often include tricky vowel sounds and stress patterns. Learning the main stress helps listeners understand you quickly. Focus on clear stress and the most common vowel sound in each word.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Description	🇨🇳 中文 描述	Notation	🇨🇳 中文 标记	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Stress in two syllables	🔊 两音节的重音	Stress often falls on the first syllable in common food words	📌 常见食品词的重音通常落在第一音节上	STRESS on first syllable	📝 将重音标注在第一音节	CAR-rot, AP-ple	🗣️ CAR-rot, AP-ple
Tomato variation	🔊 番茄发音变体	Two common pronunciations are both acceptable in English	🌍 英语中有两种常见发音都可接受	tə-MAY-to or tə-MAH-to	📝 tə-MAY-to 或 tə-MAH-to	I bought tomatoes.	🗣️ 我买了番茄。
Vegetable syllables	🔊 蔬菜词的音节	Vegetable commonly has four syllables in careful speech	📌 小心说话时，蔬菜这个词通常有四个音节	VEG-tuh-buhl	📝 VEG-tuh-buhl	Eat more vegetables.	🗣️ 吃更多蔬菜。

English uses different quantity words depending on whether you mean pieces, weight, or containers. This is especially common with fruit and vegetables because people buy them in many forms. Using the right quantity phrase makes your meaning clear in shopping and cooking.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Use numbers for individual items	🥇 对单个物品使用数字	Six oranges, two onions.	🗣️ 六个橙子、两个洋葱。
Use weight for bulk items	⚖️ 对大量物品使用重量	Two pounds of potatoes.	🗣️ 两磅土豆。
Use containers for grouped items	🧺 用容器单位来表示分组物品	A bunch of bananas, a box of berries.	🗣️ 一串香蕉，一盒浆果。
Use some for flexible amounts in cooking	🥣 在烹饪中对数量使用 some 表示灵活量	Add some chopped cilantro.	🗣️ 加一些切碎的香菜。