Huerto/huerta

Question

How are the words huerto and huerta different? The definitions given on this site are: huerto = vegetable garden and huerta = market garden. My textbook gives them as interchangeable, each meaning vegetable garden or orchard. What is a market garden? Are there any differences in the meaning? In which situations is one more commonly used than the other?

Answer 1

I'm still not clear. I have seen "herb garden" translated as "huerto de hierbas" and "vegetable garden" translated as "huerta." While I don't think that the difference between huerta and huerto depends on whether the garden has vegetables or herbs, I'm still not sure what the difference is, but I guess I'll go with huerta is bigger than huerto, although the context in which I saw "huerta" translated as vegetable garden was an article discussing a vegetable garden in a "green" lodge in Ecuador (Posada Oveja Negra): "La comida que ofrecen en la posada es orgánica y se produce allí mismo, en su propia huerta." I mean how big must this garden be?

Answer 2

To answer only part of your question, a market garden refers to a garden in which fruits or vegetables are grown to be sold, rather than simply for personal or family use. It carries the sense of a smaller garden than a large commercial farm or agricultural operation.

The other answers tell you much more about the senses of the two words in Spanish.

Thanks. I was wondering what that was. - MacFadden, Aug 16, 2010

Your second sentence reverses the meanings. - samdie, Aug 17, 2010

Answer 3

Hi, kokolatte. This seemed like a job for a straight Spanish dictionary, rather than a translation dictionary, so I took it to the DRAE. This is its definition of huerto:

1. m. Terreno de corta extensión, generalmente cercado de pared, en que se plantan verduras, legumbres y a veces árboles frutales.

And this is its definition of huerta:

1. f. Terreno de mayor extensión que el huerto, destinado al cultivo de legumbres y árboles frutales.

So it looks like una huerta is bigger than un huerto, designated for the cultivation of vegetables and fruit trees, while un huerto is generally enclosed with a wall, and has plants, vegetables, and sometimes fruit trees.

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Answer 4

In Mexico, common usage is Huerta...Orchard, Jardín.....Garden

huerto.

(Del lat. hortus).

1. m. Terreno de corta extensión, generalmente cercado de pared, en que se plantan verduras, legumbres y a veces árboles frutales.

~ rectoral.

1. m. Finca rústica que por razón de su cargo disfruta el párroco para su comodidad y recreo y para las necesidades de su casa.

llevar, o llevarse, a alguien al ~.

1. locs. verbs. coloqs. Lograr convencerlo.

2. locs. verbs. vulgs. Seducirlo sexualmente.

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huerta.

(De huerto).

1. f. Terreno de mayor extensión que el huerto, destinado al cultivo de legumbres y árboles frutales.

2. f. Tierra de regadío.

meter a alguien en la ~.

1. loc. verb. coloq. Engañarlo haciéndole creer que se le favorece.

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