Lime = Limón Or Lima? | SpanishDict Answers

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HomeQ&ALime = limón or lima?Lime = limón or lima?6votes

I learned in Rosetta Stone this:

lime = lima

lemon = limón

However, I looked at a package of" Lime Jell-o" last night and it said

"Lime (limón)"

On the same note, I ordered a Corona (beer) here in a Mexican restaurant (in Spanish) and asked for it with a "lima" (thinking lime) but was told by the Spanish speaking waiter that it was said "limón".

Huh? How can they be interchangeable? They are very different.

102942 viewsupdated Jan 23, 2017posted by amykayLime: Limón Verde.... Lemon: Limón Amarillo... Lima: Hybrido de Limón y Naranja, it has a sour sweet flavor.... mmmm The best of the best.... - juandemecio, May 11, 2012En México la palabra "lime" no existe esta es una palabra utilizada por los Estado Unidenses. - shunttymex, Oct 18, 2013Y que desgraciadamente en los bares mexicanos le llaman "lime" para que los anglosaxones comprendan !!!!! - shunttymex, Oct 18, 2013

17 Answers

6votes

Hi Amykay,

As soon as I saw your question, I thought of this lemon/lime debate from last year. I'm not sure if you will find a definitive answer but here it is.

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updated Feb 2, 2017edited by Nicole-Bposted by Nicole-B6votes

Some people seemed to back up what I thought (or learned) and someone said that in México where they live they have never even seen a lemon! (yellow kind). So that's why "limón" is the only word used. Which is weird too, México is the perfect climate to grow lemons!

I have mentioned elsewhere that the names for fruits and vegetables are very tricky, because in practically every country, and even within different regions of the same country, the names can be very different. We have had similar discussions for bananas, potatoes, and assorted other fruits and veggies.

In my experience, in most of the Caribbean Latin America, including Mexico, people refer to the small green citrus (known as "lime" in the US) as "Limón".

The larger yellow lemon is either unknown, or called something else, such as "limón francés" or what have you. I was certainly very surprised the first time I realized that people in the US would think of that large yellow fruit as "lemon"!

I am sure the yellow lemon is grown in Mexico. What exactly they call it I don't know, and again, I wouldn't be surprised if different regions had different names for it.

updated Jan 23, 2017posted by GekkosanLimones reales are grown in Mexico, but very few are sold as fruit there and only in a limited area near California AFAIK. - lorenzo9, Oct 20, 2010Good info Gekko! Here in the states there also these tiny little green things called "key limes" that are perfect for making key lime pie, a pretty common dessert in the South. It's one of the best tasting desserts on the planet! - amykay, Oct 20, 2010Yeah. Them little key limes thingies is what we call "limón". :-) - Gekkosan, Nov 4, 2010True, we rarely see lemon( yellow one) and when we see it i round shaped and not ovoid. Almost flavourless. - nekronos, Mar 20, 20136votes

I can validate what lorenzo said. I learned what you did, but here in SoCal everything is a limón, regardless of whether it's a lime or lemon. This appears to be most common in Mexican Spanish.

updated Jan 23, 2017posted by KevinBLime: Limón Verde.... Lemon: Limón Amarillo... Lima: Hybrido de Limón y Naranja, it has a sour sweet flavor.... They are not the same... We even have another type of lemon, Royal Lemon, its the size of a cantaloupe. - juandemecio, May 11, 20126votes

In Ecuador, lime is limón and lemons are not available. Lima means file.

In Los Angeles, both lemons and limes were called limones by Mexicans.

updated Jan 23, 2017posted by lorenzo9That would be rather becuse they were confused. We don't use lemons in MExico. Just in Yucatan and they are different shape and re called Limas. Like in "Sopa de lima" - nekronos, Mar 20, 20134votes

In Perú what we call "lima" is a medium-sized citrus fruit with a very thick yellowish skin which can be peeled and eaten as you would with an organge. . . A "limón" in Perú is a very small, hard, round citrus fruit which is incredibly acidic and used in cooking, especially to prepare ceviche as it cures the fish. . . I am yet to find either of these fruits in the UK! I also never saw what is considered a "lime" or "lemon" in the UK when I was in Perú.

updated Nov 27, 2011posted by amy_moreno4votes

Thank you for that link Nicole! I read all of the entries, but nothing was cleared up!

Some people seemed to back up what I thought (or learned) and someone said that in México where they live they have never even seen a lemon! (yellow kind). So that's why "limón" is the only word used. Which is weird too, México is the perfect climate to grow lemons!

updated Nov 27, 2011posted by amykayThe answer may be that there is no definite answer. I figured if I linked that thread and it was read in conjunction with yours that perhaps someone new might come along with the answer. :) - Nicole-B, Oct 20, 2010Yes I agree! I think limon id the more common word. Actually that waiter I talked about told me that lima meant some kind of candy! Whcih is why he looked at me funny when I asked for it with me beer! - amykay, Oct 20, 2010sorry for my typos, i'm in a hurry! - amykay, Oct 20, 20103votes

I learned in Rosetta Stone this:

lime = lima

lemon = limón

Huh? How can they be interchangeable? They are very different.

They are not interchangeable in Spain. We use them as stated in your Spanish course. Before reading Lorenzo's note, if I had asked for a "limón" and I got a lime, I'd had said something like, "Perdone, esto es una lima, no un limón".

updated Mar 21, 2013posted by lazarus19072votes

Ok, guys. Too much speculation. Here is how it is: For Spain and some latinamerican countries: Lime = Lima; Lemon = Limon.

For Mexico, Guatemala and other american countries: Lime = Limon; Lemon = Lima.

Fact is some countries don't have either one or the other. Ecuador, for example only have lemons (yellow), while in Mexico limes (yes, the green ones we call them limón) are found everywhere and lemons (limas for us) are different in shape and vaguely consumed due its lack of sour-power.

Argentinians do not make any difference between them, they just call them both limón. How do I know?: first of all, we Mexicans are really crazy about limes (we pour its juice in everything). Also, I travel a lot, and in Spain and other spanish-speaking countries I have had big time trying to figure out at restaurants which one is each. While in the United States and the United Kingdom the translation from English is just as to Spanish from Spain, so first time I asked in English for a lemon, I got the yellow one.

updated Jan 23, 2017edited by nekronosposted by nekronosEstá bien. Bat jú quen tel excép for mojito? - DonBigoteDeLaLancha, Jan 23, 20172votes

I agree with Gekkosan, translation of fruits and vegetables can be very tricky because different regions can use the same word for completely different things. For example, in Bolivia they call “chestnuts” "almendras" while most countries call them "castañas" and "almendras" are used to refer to “almonds”.

I am from the USA and have resided in Bolivia and Peru and traveled quite a bit to Mexico so have actually seen and eaten the fruits in question. For these regions there is not a clear answer.

In the USA, “lemons” are yellow and smaller than your typical orange. “Limes” are green and typically smaller than lemons. While their taste is a little different, they are very similar. Both are sour and used for food preparation (in other words, you normally would not peel them and eat them as a fruit, they are too sour).

In the Latin American countries that I am familiar with, there is no distinction between what we call “lemons” and “limes”. They are all just different varieties of "limones". On the other hand, "limas" are a different fruit altogether. They are typically yellow and vary in size between an orange and a grapefruit. They are slightly sweet and are peeled and eaten like an orange. The best way I can describe it is like a grapefruit that is not bitter and less sweet. I have never seen "limas" in the USA.

It can be a bit unnerving to find absolutes not so absolute (don’t get me started on how many continents there are). But to say “lemon=limón and lime=lima” is an absolute that does not hold up. The reality is that “limón” is normally a good translation for “lemon” but it is normally used for “lime” also. And “lima” is rarely a good translation for “lime”.

updated Mar 21, 2013posted by rutherfurdThat explained a **whole** bunch about my recent experience in Uruguay. - territurtle, Nov 27, 20112votes

Its just like in portuguese , i guess. In european portuguese lime = lima and lemon=limão.In brazilian portuguese limão stands for lime and lima is a sweet citrus fruit that you eat like a orange but has a smoother and sweeter taste.

updated Nov 27, 2011posted by babazita2votes

In Spain it's like you said: "lima" is the green, smaller fruit, and "limón" is the yellow one. And "limones" are a lot more common, too.

updated Nov 27, 2011posted by bill11111vote

Lima is Lemon Limón is Lime

updated Nov 4, 2010posted by SonDongWoonSo much for regional variation! - samdie, Nov 4, 20100votes

As stated previously, in Mexico if you ask for a limón you will get a lime. If you want a a yellow lemon, then ask for it specifically...limón amarillo.

When in doubt....

El limón, ¿es verde o amarillo?

¿Hay limones amarillos?

Problem solved.

And while we're on the subject, you will surely hear a Mexican call a "tomate" a "jitomate". Now you won't be lost like I was the first time I heard it.

updated Jan 23, 2017edited by rodneypposted by rodneypThat is for "damn chure". :) - DonBigoteDeLaLancha, Jan 23, 20170votes

I tend toward Castilian Spanish. Therefore, "lima",,,,AH....I'm confused already. "Lima" es "lemon" and "limón" is ";lime". I"m disinigrating. ¡Argh! I'm in the middle of a paella and I can't think. I ask for the green ones or the yellow ones to avoid confusion.

In the same vein, there are "bananas", "plátanos",and "guineos". Go figure!.

In Intuit (?) there are 156 terms to describe different kinds of snow (nieve).

updated Jan 23, 2017posted by DonBigoteDeLaLancha0votes

"Limón" can be lemon or a Mexican hybrid (lemon & lime) which can be yellow to a light green usually light than an actual lime, while "lima" is simply "lime". You rarely see a yellow lemon south of the US border.

updated Jan 22, 2017edited by MsVickyposted by MsVickyNext🚀 Remove adsSpanishDictionary.com is the world's most popular Spanish-English dictionary, translation, and learning website.FEATURESTranslationConjugationVocabularyLearn SpanishGrammarWord of the DayABOUTAbout UsPrivacyTermsSite MapHelpContact UsSOCIAL NETWORKSFacebookXXInstagramAPPSAppleiOSAndroidAndroid IXL learning logo