tomaatti
/ˈtomɑːtːi/
The Finnish word for tomato is tomaatti.
tomaatti refers to the fruit known as a tomato. You can use it to describe the food itself or as a component in compound words, such as tomaattikastike for tomato sauce.
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Which one should you use?
The singular nominative form is tomaatti, while the plural nominative form is tomaatit.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word changes depending on its role in a sentence. The genitive form is tomaatin, used to indicate possession or to say 'of the tomato'. The plural nominative is tomaatit. To say 'in the tomatoes', use the inessive form tomaateissa.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtomɑːtːi/
Did you know?
- The root of tomaatti comes from tomatl, a word from Classical Nahuatl spoken by the Aztecs.
- Finnish uses a 'double t' in tomaatti to indicate a long consonant, which changes the rhythm of the word compared to the English 'tomato'.
- Because Finnish creates compound words easily, tomaatti can be fused with almost any other noun to create specific culinary terms without using a preposition.
Examples in context
- Tomaatti ei ole vihannes.The tomato isn't a vegetable.This sentence is useful for clarifying that a tomaatti is not a vegetable.Tatoeba #6835120 by Henu, translation #6825993 by Eccles17
- Onko tomaatti hedelmä vai vihannes?Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?This sentence is useful for asking whether a tomaatti is a fruit or a vegetable.Tatoeba #3170314 by Silja, translation #37444 by CK
- Lisää tomaattisose ja laakerinlehti.Add the tomato paste and a bay leaf.This sentence shows how to use the word in the context of adding tomaatti paste to a dish.Tatoeba #11498541 by Thanuir, translation #9928714 by CK
- Ostaisin kilon tomaatteja, kiitos!I'd like to buy a kilo of tomatoes, please!
- Mä tykkään tomaateista salaatissa!I love tomatoes in my salad!
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Laura and Matti are making a salad in the kitchen.
- LauraLeikkaatko sinä tämän tomaatin?Will you cut this tomato?
- MattiJoo, leikkaan tämän tomaatin nyt.Yes, I will cut this tomato now.
- LauraLaita tomaatti sitten kulhoon.Put the tomato in the bowl then.
- MattiTässä on tomaatti ja kurkku.Here are the tomato and the cucumber.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tomato” translations and entries tomaatti, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tomaatti, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
