果物（くだもの、kudamono）
- fruit

The Japanese word 果物 (くだもの) refers to "fruit" in English. It encompasses various edible fruits, typically those that grow on trees, bushes, or vines and are sweet or have a pleasant taste. This includes a wide range of fruits enjoyed for their flavors and nutritional value. The term does not generally include vegetables, even if they are botanically fruits (like tomatoes or cucumbers).

⚫︎りんごは果物です。 Translation: Apples are fruits. ⚫︎果物を食べることが好きです。 Translation: I like eating fruit. ⚫︎夏の果物はおいしいです。 Translation: Summer fruits are delicious.

You use 果物 in everyday conversations when referring to fruits. ⚫︎When discussing your favorite fruits. ⚫︎When talking about buying fruit at the supermarket or market. ⚫︎When describing the fruits you are eating or have eaten. You can use it in both formal and informal situations, though the context might influence the level of politeness in your other sentence elements.

⚫︎The word 果物 is written with the kanji 果 (meaning "fruit" or "result") and 物 (meaning "thing" or "object"). ⚫︎The reading uses hiragana: くだもの. ⚫︎There are no variations in okurigana for this word.

There are not many direct synonyms for 果物 in Japanese. The closest would be less common terms or descriptive phrases. For example: ⚫︎フルーツ (furūtsu): This is a loanword from English "fruit" and is used, but less frequently than 果物. It tends to be used when referring to fruit in a Western context. ⚫︎Specific fruit names: Using the name of the fruit itself, like りんご (apple), バナナ (banana), etc.

The direct antonym of 果物 is not very clear, but you could consider: ⚫︎野菜 (yasai): Vegetables. This is the most direct contrast in terms of food category.

朝ごはんに果物を食べました。 ・Translation: I ate fruit for breakfast. ・Explanation: This sentence describes eating fruit as part of a meal.

この店では新鮮な果物が売られています。 ・Translation: Fresh fruit is sold at this shop. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the availability of fresh fruit at a specific place.

The word 果物 is a compound word. 果 (kuda) comes from the kanji meaning "fruit" or "result". 物 (mono) refers to "things." Therefore, 果物 essentially translates to "fruit things," referring to edible fruits.