lime / lemon

[Mr. Bunions]

Hopefully I can get this settled once and for all, this seems to be the place to do it. How do you say lime in Spanish (small and green) and how do you say lemon (larger and yellow)... I'm guessing different countries will have different ways of saying it. I'm most interested in how Mexicans living in the U.S. would say it because of what I'm translating, but I'm curious about other countries too. Thanks in advance!

[Railway]

Hi Mr. Bunions

In Spain, and as far as I know in the other Spanish-speaking countries, lime is lima and lemon is limón.

[gecheverria]

Hola,

I am Spanish and I have lived in Mexico, As Railway said

Lime == lima
Lemon == limón

[Mr. Bunions]

thanks! i guess that settles it...

[Jellby]

But lime is also "tilo"

[Txiri]

The -on ending is an augmentative. It makes the word for lemon in spanish look like "big lime".

As to "tilo", I´ve never heard, seen that, but with at least three words for "banana", nothing surprises me anymore

[gecheverria]

Hola;

En español, el Tilo (Tilia platyphyllos) es un árbol. Aunque su traducción al ingles es "Lime Tree", no se trata de un limonero.

Las hojas de este árbol se llaman "Tila", que es utilizado como calmante en infusiones.

In Spanish, Tilo (Tilia platyphyllos) it is a tree. Although its translation to English is "Lime Tree" , it is not a lemon tree.

The leaf of this tree is call "Tila" that is used as sedative in infusions.

[Txiri]

I looked in the WR dict. and although it calls tila, lime blossom, that is not what we know this herb by in AmE. (I don´t think ...) it´s rather something along the lines of chamomile, growing on a small, perhaps woody, plant with herbal properties

[mithrellas]

Originally Posted by Txiri

The -on ending is an augmentative. It makes the word for lemon in spanish look like "big lime".

Limón:

1. m. Fruto del limonero, de color amarillo, forma ovoide y pulpa en gajos de sabor ácido.
2. Árbol que da este fruto.
3. Bebida refrescante realizada con zumo de limón:
   ron con limón.

Lima:

1. f. Fruto del limero, de forma esferoidal aplanada, corteza lisa y amarilla y pulpa de sabor algo dulce dividida en gajos:
   zumo de lima.
2. limero, árbol de la lima.

In this case 'ón' is not an augmentative. The same happens with words like 'melón', 'camión'... which are not augmentative.

Maybe someone else could explain it a little better, that is the best I can do in English.

[mcmc]

Hi,

This could sound a little confusing but that is the way it is, and I hope that helps Mr. Buinions:

In Spain, lemon is the large and yellow fruit, and lime is the small and green one.

In Venezuela, lemon is the smaller and green fruit, and lime is the larger and yellow one.

Have a nice day,

[Gaby B]

In Mexico it is just the opposite as some people here have said:

"Limón" is small and green, which I have found in some places in the USA call Lime.

"Lima" is larger and yellow, which I have found some people in USA call Lemon.

I hope this helps.

[mariposita]

In America, tila is Linden flower or leaves. It comes from a big tree (Tilo/Linden tree--I had one in my front yard growing up).

[Jenbojens]

I've also heard that lime and lemon are both "limon" ( el o con accento -- lo siento) is this true? You can just say limon and if it really matters you add verde or amarillo ..?

[LucíayMiguel]

Originally Posted by Jenbojens

I've also heard that lime and lemon are both "limon" ( el o con accento -- lo siento) is this true? You can just say limon and if it really matters you add verde or amarillo ..?

No. In Spain "lime" is "lima" and "lemon" is "limón", to different citrics that come from two different trees. They also taste different.

[Gaby B]

Also in México, "lime" (which is Limón) and Lemon (which is Lima) are very different and a mexican food that uses "limones" would not taste the same with "limas" at all... Lima for us is too sweet...

[Moritzchen]

I believe Tilo is Linden. Lime is Lima and lemon is limón

[Maeron]

I don't know if Mexicans in the U.S. would say it differently, but in Mexico, limón is a small green lime (generally 3 to 6 cm long) which is more sour than what we know as a lime. You can substitute the juice for any North American recipe that calls for lemon juice. Although it looks like what we know as a lime, you can basically consider it a lemon. Lima is slightly larger, paler green, and although it's not what you would call really sweet, it is sweet enough to eat out of hand. The large, yellow lemons that we know in Canada and U.S. are not found in Mexico, at least not here in central Mexico.

[lforestier]

You aren't the only one to be confused.
In Puerto Rico, limon is yellow and lima is green and sour.
When I moved to Mexico, I discovered that the limon used for drinks, and cooking was small and green. I thought it was a different type of lemon. But one day at Walmart de Mexico, I saw nice yellow lemons with a big sign above advertising Limas.
So go figure.

[Victorita]

I agree with Maeron. I am from El Salvador and to us limón is the small green and sour fruit and lima is a bigger, paler green, slightly sweet fruit. I don't know if it is its own fruit or if it is a cross between a limón and an orange. I'm glad to see there is someone else who shares these definitions!

Victorita

[Victorita]

This is Victorita again. I forgot why I even got into the Forum to begin with! How would you translate limeade? As a Salvadorean I would translate it as Limonada, but as someone from the US, I'm not sure. Help! Thanks.

Vicktorita