{"id":70598,"date":"2023-07-09T11:39:37","date_gmt":"2023-07-09T15:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/fruit-in-italian\/"},"modified":"2025-05-27T08:52:15","modified_gmt":"2025-05-27T12:52:15","slug":"fruit-in-italian","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/italian\/fruit-in-italian\/","title":{"rendered":"Fruit in Italian: 85+ Words, Expressions and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you think of Italy, you might think of grapes, figs and citrus fruit. But did you know that Italy also produces many prickly pears and kiwis? Or that calling someone a fig means they’re cool<\/a> but calling them a pear means they’re clumsy or naive?<\/p>\n

This blog post will provide you with all the juicy details on how to say fruits in Italian, along with slang terms<\/a>, common expressions and even Italian recipes<\/a> with fruit.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

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How to Say “Fruit” in Italian<\/h2>\n

Before we can delve into the different kinds of fruit in Italian, let’s take a moment to learn the word for “fruit”:<\/p>\n

Frutta\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Fruit<\/p>\n

Frutta <\/em>is a feminine noun that’s always used in the singular form, even when referring to multiple types of fruit. That means you’d say ho comprato della frutta<\/em>\u00a0to mean “I bought some fruit” even if you purchased apples, oranges and bananas.<\/p>\n

When using frutta<\/em> to refer to a specific type of fruit, you can use it in combination with the definite article la<\/em> or il,<\/em> depending on the gender of the fruit. For example, la frutta fresca<\/em> means “fresh fruit” and il frutto della passione<\/em> means “passion fruit.” You’ll have to learn which genders go with which fruit, but the word itself is invariable.<\/p>\n

You can get a better sense of this by checking out some examples of the word in use:<\/p>\n

La frutta \u00e8 un alimento sano e nutriente.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Fruit is a healthy and nutritious food.<\/p>\n

Oggi ho comprato della frutta fresca al mercato.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Today I bought some fresh fruit at the market.<\/p>\n

Mia nonna mi ha regalato una cesta di frutta per il compleanno.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 My grandma gave me a basket of fruit for my birthday.<\/p>\n

Dal nostro fruttivendolo ci sono molte variet\u00e0 di frutta esotica. <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 In our fruit store there are many varieties of exotic fruit.<\/p>\n

I bambini hanno mangiato tutta la frutta che ho comprato ieri!\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 The kids ate all the fruit I bought yesterday!<\/p>\n

Prepariamo una crostata di frutta per il pranzo di domani.\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0\u2014 Let’s make a fruit tart for tomorrow’s lunch.<\/p>\n

Mia madre mangia sempre della frutta dopo cena. <\/strong><\/em>\u2014 My mother always eats some fruit after dinner.<\/p>\n

Common Italian Fruit Vocabulary<\/h2>\n

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Let’s learn some Italian fruit terms! Starting with these common fruits that don’t quite fall into the categories below, a mix of core and pomaceous fruit<\/a> (a term I just learned while writing this article. The more you know!).<\/p>\n

Pero<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Pear<\/p>\n

Mela<\/em><\/a> <\/strong>\u2014 Apple<\/p>\n

Nespola<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Loquat<\/p>\n

Il Cotogno<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Quince<\/p>\n

Caco<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Persimmon (aka cachi, kaki, or diospero in Tuscany)<\/p>\n

Stone fruit in Italian<\/h3>\n

Stone fruit have a pit, or “stone” in their center and a soft, juicy exterior. They’re some of my favorites!<\/p>\n

Frutta a nocciolo<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Stone fruit<\/p>\n

Dattero<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Date<\/p>\n

Pesca<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Peach<\/p>\n

Albicocca<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Apricot<\/p>\n

Prugna<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Plum<\/p>\n

Ciliegia<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Cherry<\/p>\n

Amarena<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Sour cherry<\/p>\n

Mango<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Mango<\/p>\n

Avocado<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Avocado (yes, technically a fruit<\/a>!)<\/p>\n

Melons in Italian<\/h3>\n

Melons are the perfect summer fruit. Here are a few common types of melon in Italian:<\/p>\n

Melone<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Melon<\/p>\n

Cocomero<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Watermelon<\/p>\n

Cantalupo<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Cantaloupe<\/p>\n

Melone bianco<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Honeydew<\/p>\n

Berries in Italian<\/h3>\n

Wild and farmed warm-climate berries are abundant in Italy. Some colder-region berries like cranberries and lingonberries aren’t found as commonly but still occasionally make their way to Italian meals and desserts.<\/p>\n

Frutti di bosco<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Berries<\/p>\n

Banana<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Banana (yep, bananas are berries<\/a>!)<\/p>\n

Lampone<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Raspberry<\/p>\n

Fragola<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Strawberry<\/p>\n

Mirtillo<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Blueberry<\/p>\n

Mora<\/strong> \/ bacche di more<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Blackberry<\/p>\n

Ribes<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Currant<\/p>\n

Uva spina<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Gooseberry<\/p>\n

Sambuco<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Elderberry<\/p>\n

Mirtilli rossi<\/strong> <\/em>\u2014 Cranberry<\/p>\n

Mirtilli di palude<\/strong> <\/em>\u2014 Lingonberries<\/p>\n

Bacca di Goji<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Goji berry<\/p>\n

Bacche di<\/strong> acai<\/a><\/strong><\/em> \u2014 A\u00e7a\u00ed berries<\/p>\n

Melagrana<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Pomegranate<\/p>\n

Citrus Fruit in Italian<\/h3>\n

Italy’s climate is perfect for growing citrus fruit, particularly in the southern regions and Sicily. The juicy and tangy nature of the citrus fruit makes it a popular fruit to incorporate into various dishes\u2014or eat fresh, my personal preferred way to consume them.<\/p>\n

Agrumi<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Citrus fruit<\/p>\n

Arancia<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Orange<\/p>\n

Limone<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Lemon<\/p>\n

Lime<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Lime<\/p>\n

Mandarino<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Mandarin<\/p>\n

Pompelmo<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Grapefruit<\/p>\n

Clementina<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Clementine<\/p>\n

Tangerino<\/strong> <\/em> \/ mandarino tangerino<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Tangerine<\/p>\n

Bergamotto<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Bergamot (This is the fruit that gives Earl Gray tea its distinct flavor and is widely grown in Calabria<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Cedro<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Citron<\/p>\n

Tropical fruit in Italian<\/h3>\n

Rising temperatures and varying micro-climates across the country’s different regions make it possible to grow certain tropical fruit in Italy. If you’ve been paying attention throughout this article, you won’t be surprised to learn that it’s the southern regions that are best suited for tropical fruit.<\/p>\n

So while mangoes and pineapples might make you think of the Caribbean, don’t be surprised if you bump into them in Italy, too.<\/p>\n

Frutta tropicale<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Tropical fruit<\/p>\n

Ananas<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Pineapple<\/p>\n

Mango<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Mango<\/p>\n

Papaya<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Papaya<\/p>\n

Cocco<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Coconut<\/p>\n

Guava\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Guava<\/p>\n

Maracuja<\/strong> \/ frutto della passione\u00a0<\/strong><\/em> \u2014 Passion fruit<\/p>\n

Litchi<\/em><\/a><\/strong> \u2014 Lychee<\/p>\n

Frutto del drago<\/strong> <\/em> \u2014 Dragon fruit<\/p>\n

Carambola<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Starfruit<\/p>\n

Jackfruit<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em> \u2014 Jackfruit<\/p>\n

A useful way to practice this vocabulary is by using flashcards<\/a>. You could also try searching for some of these fruit words using FluentU’s\u00a0contextual video dictionary<\/a> to see how they are used in native media.\u00a0<\/p>\n

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

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