jitomate
red tomato, Mexico
In Mexico a red tomato is jitomate, and tomate refers to the green husked tomatillo. This is a difference from other Spanish-speaking countries.
Meaning: a red fruit used as a vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mexican | Note |
|---|---|
| jitomate | red tomato, Mexico |
| Tomate | green tomatillo, Mexico |
Red salsas use jitomate, while salsa verde is made with tomate verde. At the market, asking for un kilo de jitomate gets you the red kind.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain and most of Latin America tomate means the red tomato, so Mexicans stand out here.
How does it change in a sentence?
Both are masculine: el jitomate, el tomate.
Did you know?
- The word jitomate comes from the Nahuatl xictomatl, while tomate comes from tomatl.
Examples in context
- Necesito un kilo de jitomate.I need a kilo of tomatoes.
- La salsa verde lleva tomate verde.Green salsa has tomatillos.
- Corta el jitomate en cubos.Cut the tomato into cubes.
Example conversation
Marta buys vegetables from a vendor at a market in Puebla.
- MartaUn kilo de jitomate, por favor.A kilo of tomatoes, please.
- Vendedor¿Algo más, güerita?Anything else?
- MartaMedio kilo de tomate verde.Half a kilo of tomatillos.
