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False Friends/🍕 Food/frutti di mare
A2🍕 Food

Italian word

frutti di mare

seafood (literally 'fruits of the sea')

Looks like

fruits of the sea

not a common English phrase; English says 'seafood'

⚠️ The trap

'Frutti di mare' literally means 'fruits of the sea'. In Italian it specifically refers to shellfish and molluscs — clams, mussels, squid, prawns. It does not typically include whole fish like tuna or salmon. 'Pesce' (fish) and 'frutti di mare' (shellfish/seafood) are separate categories on Italian menus.

To say "not a common English phrase; English says 'seafood'" in Italian:

frutti di mare (seafood — shellfish in particular)

"frutti di mare" in English means:

seafood (literally 'fruits of the sea')

Example

"La zuppa di frutti di mare è specialità del ristorante."

"The seafood soup is the restaurant's speciality."

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