Vegetal vs. hortaliza vs. verdura
While vegetal, verdura, and hortaliza can all be translated as vegetable, they are not interchangeable and carry distinct meanings in Spanish, ranging from broad scientific classification to specific culinary use.
Vegetal
B1Vegetal is the most general and scientific term, referring to anything belonging to the plant kingdom. It is most often used as an adjective to mean plant-based or of plant origin rather than as a noun for a specific food item you would buy at the market.
Los seres vivos se dividen en el reino animal y el reino vegetal.
(Living beings are divided into the animal kingdom and the plant kingdom.)
El aceite de girasol es un tipo de aceite vegetal.
(Sunflower oil is a type of vegetable oil.)
Mi dieta se basa en productos de origen vegetal.
(My diet is based on plant-based products.)
La fibra vegetal es importante para la digestión.
(Plant fiber is important for digestion.)
Hortaliza
B1Hortaliza is a broad culinary and agricultural term for any edible plant grown in a garden (a huerto). It is a very inclusive word that covers vegetables where people eat the root, stem, leaf, flower, or even fruit (like tomatoes or peppers). It is a more formal or technical term than verdura.
Mi abuelo cultiva sus propias hortalizas en el jardín trasero.
(My grandfather grows his own vegetables in the backyard garden.)
El tomate, técnicamente un fruto, se consume como hortaliza.
(The tomato, technically a fruit, is consumed as a vegetable.)
La zanahoria es una hortaliza de raíz muy nutritiva.
(The carrot is a very nutritious root vegetable.)
El sector de la fruta y la hortaliza es clave en la agricultura de la región.
(The fruit and vegetable sector is key to the region's agriculture.)
En el mercado venden todo tipo de hortaliza de temporada.
(They sell all kinds of seasonal vegetables at the market.)
Verdura
A1Verdura is the most common, everyday word for vegetables used in savory cooking. Strictly speaking, it refers to the green, leafy parts of a plant, as verde means green. However, in popular usage, its meaning has expanded to include many non-green hortalizas like carrots, onions, or cauliflower.
Mi madre me dice que coma más verdura para estar sano.
(My mother tells me to eat more vegetables to be healthy.)
Para el guiso, necesitas cortar mucha verdura: cebolla, pimiento y patatas.
(For the stew, you need to chop a lot of vegetables: onion, pepper, and potatoes.)
Las espinacas y la acelga son mis verduras de hoja verde favoritas.
(Spinach and chard are my favorite leafy green vegetables.)
Voy a la tienda a comprar algo de verdura para la cena.
(I'm going to the store to buy some vegetables for dinner.)
A los niños no siempre les gusta la verdura hervida.
(Children do not always like boiled vegetables.)
Summary
In short, vegetal is a broad, scientific term for anything from the plant kingdom, often used as an adjective meaning plant-based. Hortaliza is a formal term for any edible plant cultivated in a garden, including roots, stems, and fruits. Verdura is the most common, everyday word, technically referring to green leafy vegetables, but it is now widely used for almost any vegetable you would cook in a savory dish.