Fruits and Vegetables in Arabic for Kids
Food is the easiest vocabulary to practise because it comes back three times a day. Every snack is a chance to name one fruit in Arabic.
Some foods have different names from one Arab country to the next — tomato is طماطم in Egypt and the Gulf but بندورة in the Levant. The list uses the common name and the FAQ gives the others.
Fruits
- تفاحةapple · tuffaaha
- موزةbanana · mawza
- برتقالةorange · burtuqaala
- عنبgrapes · 'inab
- فراولةstrawberry · faraawla
- بطيخwatermelon · battiikh
- ليمونlemon · laymuun
- أناناسpineapple · anaanaas
- مانجوmango · manga
- كرزcherries · karaz
- خوخpeach · khawkh
- كمثرىpear · kummathraa
- كيويkiwi · kiiwi
- جوز الهندcoconut · jawz al-hind
- شمّامmelon · shammaam
- توتberries · tuut
- تمرdates · tamr
Vegetables
- جزرcarrot · jazar
- طماطمtomato · tamaatim
- خيارcucumber · khiyaar
- بطاطاpotato · bataata
- بصلonion · basal
- ثومgarlic · thuum
- فلفلpepper · filfil
- فلفل حارchilli · filfil haarr
- ذرةcorn · dhura
- باذنجانaubergine · baadhinjaan
- خسlettuce · khass
- بروكليbroccoli · brokli
- فطرmushroom · fitr
- بازلاءpeas · baazillaa'
Three ways to practise at home
- At snack time, name the fruit before handing it over and wait for your child to repeat it — then it is theirs.
- Play 'fruit or vegetable?' (فاكهة أم خضار؟) while unpacking the shopping.
- Cut an apple, an orange and a cucumber across the middle and compare the patterns inside, naming each in Arabic.
Questions parents ask
Why are there two words for tomato and potato in Arabic?+
Different countries use different everyday names. Tomato is طماطم in Egypt, the Gulf and North Africa and بندورة in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. Potato is بطاطا in most countries and بطاطس in Egypt. Teach the one your family uses.
How do you say fruit and vegetables in Arabic?+
Fruit is فاكهة (faakiha), plural فواكه (fawaakih). Vegetables are خضار (khudaar) or خضروات (khudrawaat).
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable?+
A tomato is a fruit to a botanist, because it grows from the flower and holds the seeds — but everyone cooks it as a vegetable, so most children's books list it with the vegetables, as we do.
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