Is comprised of

[poli]

I would say contiene. Is there a better term.

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

I would say contiene. Is there a better term.

comprende, también.

[Rusty]

consta de
consiste en
incluye

[poli]

Thanks Rusty. That consta de is new to me. The verb constar sometimes confuses me.

I guess llevar works too.

Chileno, comprender confuses me in this instance. Could you say, la torta
comprende nueces y chocolate? It sounds bad to me.

[chileno]

check the following link http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=comprender

[poli]

Originally Posted by chileno

check the following link http://lema.rae.es/drae/?val=comprender

Wow, that really is new to me--and informative.
So. can I say la torta comprende pasitas y nueces without getting strange looks?

[chileno]

Originally Posted by poli

Wow, that really is new to me--and informative.
So. can I say la torta comprende pasitas y nueces without getting strange looks?

You would get strange looks, because people in general don't use like exactly like that.

Even myself I hesitate to add a "de" in there....

La torta comprende de: pasas, nueces, harina....

I think that's how it would be acceptable.

I am not sure anymore.

[aleCcowaN]

comprende ---> parts of a big whole: la propiedad comprende una residencia principal, casa de huéspedes, casa para el personal, piscina semi-olímpica, cancha de tenis y dos hectáreas parquizadas.

contiene ---> ingredients: la torta contiene pasas de uva y nueces

[Perikles]

Originally Posted by aleCcowaN

comprende ---> parts of a big whole: la propiedad comprende una residencia principal, casa de huéspedes, casa para el personal, piscina semi-olímpica, cancha de tenis y dos hectáreas parquizadas.

contiene ---> ingredients: la torta contiene pasas de uva y nueces

So from that, comprender == to consist of, where everything is included and implying there is nothing else of significance

contener == to contain, which implies that there is more. For example "This product contains nuts" is just emphasising one significant ingredient without saying anything about other ingredients. (I've just seen this warning on a packet of nuts )

[poli]

Good.
Contain and to consist of or to be comprised of really have different meanings. comprender/contener

[aleCcowaN]

Originally Posted by Perikles

So from that, comprender == to consist of, where everything is included and implying there is nothing else of significance

Not necessarily. "Comprende" may mean "(also) includes": La tarifa diaria del espacio para acampar comprende el uso de las instalaciones sanitarias (it's included, you don't have to pay extra money for it)

It's like comprender implies kinda "holding tight (as a part of a whole)" with some idea of reach, while contener is sorta "be made of". For instance, saying "una vaca comprende cuatro estómagos" or "una vaca contiene cuatro estómagos", both make no sense at all. Well, it is understandable, but a native speaker would wonder why those verbs were used. But saying "el aparato digestivo de una vaca comprende cuatro estómagos" or "una vaca de tres años continene suficiente grasa como para mantener prendida una lámpara durante un año seguido" make sense from a linguistic point of view. Maybe it's this way: if you're laying out what a whole is made of, use comprender; if you're explaining what's in or from what you have started to make it (as far as that didn't transform in a different thing), use contener.

Originally Posted by Perikles

(I've just seen this warning on a packet of nuts )

Because of legal and not logical reasons (not the lack of logic on part of the writer but the customer's and their ambulance-chasing lawyers)

[chileno]

Thank you alec.

Ok back to la torta:

Hacer una torta comprende en juntar harican con agua blah blah blah, pasas y nueces.

Consists of or includes.