Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| plátano | /ˈplatano/ | Chile, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Spain, masculine |
| banana | /baˈnana/ | Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, feminine |
| banano | /baˈnano/ | Central America, Colombia, Ecuador, masculine |
| cambur | /kamˈbuɾ/ | Venezuela, masculine |
| guineo | /ɡiˈneo/ | Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Eastern, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Northern, Northwestern, Panama, Puerto Rico, Southeastern, Southern, Venezuela, masculine |
| mínimo | /ˈminimo/ | Central, Honduras, masculine |
| plátano fruta | /platano fɾuta/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
| fongo | /fonɡo/ (from spelling rules) | Cuba, masculine |
In many Spanish-speaking regions, plátano can specifically refer to the starchy plantain used for cooking, while terms like banana or banano are used for the sweet fruit eaten raw.
Which one should you use?
While all these words refer to the fruit, they are used in different geographical areas and can imply different varieties of the fruit (such as the distinction between a sweet banana and a starchy plantain).
Is it said differently in some regions?
The choice of word depends heavily on where you are: • banana is used in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay. • banano is used in Central America, Colombia and Ecuador. • cambur is used in Venezuela. • guineo is used in Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico and parts of Venezuela. • mínimo is used in Central Honduras. • plátano is used in Chile, Mexico, Peru, Philippines and Spain. • fongo is used in Cuba.
How does it change in a sentence?
The grammatical gender of these words varies: • banana is feminine, so its plural uses the feminine article (e.g., las bananas). • banano, cambur, guineo, mínimo and plátano are masculine, so they use masculine articles (e.g., los bananos, el cambur, el guineo).
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈplatano/
Did you know?
- The Spanish word banana likely entered the language via Portuguese from a Niger-Congo language spoken in the Guinea region.
- The word plátano is used not only in Spanish-speaking Americas and Spain, but also in the Philippines.
- The word guineo is used widely across the Caribbean and Central America, but its roots trace back to the region of Guinea in Africa.
Examples in context
- Me comí un plátano.I ate a banana.This sentence shows how to use plátano to say you ate a banana.Tatoeba #10124663 by manufrutos, translation #5263418 by CK
- Me como un plátano.I eat a banana.This sentence shows how to use plátano to say you eat a banana.Tatoeba #10178543 by Seael, translation #1143111 by AlanF_US
- Me comí tu plátano.I ate your banana.This sentence shows how to use plátano to say you ate someone's banana.Tatoeba #10284298 by manufrutos, translation #10282381 by ddnktr
- En el supermercado, ¿dónde puedo encontrar plátanos?At the supermarket, where can I find bananas?
- Me gusta comer un plátano al desayuno.I like to eat a banana for breakfast.
- ¡Compré unos guineos deliciosos en la feria!I bought some delicious bananas at the street market!
- ¿Quieres un guineo?Do you want a banana?
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are at the supermarket.
- Daniel¿Necesitas un plátano para la merienda?Do you need a banana for your snack?
- MaríaSí, quiero un plátano muy maduro.Yes, I want a very ripe banana.
- DanielVoy a buscar el plátano en la frutería.I am going to look for the banana in the produce section.
- MaríaGracias, Daniel, eres muy amable.Thank you, Daniel, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “banana” translations and entries plátano, banana, banano, cambur, guineo, mínimo, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries banana, banano, cambur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
