{"id":181748,"date":"2020-02-05T07:42:06","date_gmt":"2020-02-05T12:42:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/vegetables-in-chinese\/"},"modified":"2025-02-27T04:40:19","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T09:40:19","slug":"vegetables-in-chinese","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/chinese\/vegetables-in-chinese\/","title":{"rendered":"34 Vegetables in Chinese, Plus Vegetarian Terms and Dishes"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chinese cuisine is not only mouth-wateringly delicious, but also full of veggies. Whether you want to\u00a0visit an authentic Chinese restaurant<\/a> or take an exciting trip to China<\/a>, you’re going to want to know your \u852c\u83dc\u00a0(sh\u016b c\u00e0i)<\/em>\u00a0or veggies in Chinese.<\/p>\n

Below, I’ve listed 34 delectable vegetables in Chinese,<\/strong> as well as interesting facts about Chinese cuisine, helpful phrases for vegetarians and some popular veggie dishes.
\n[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Common Chinese Vegetables<\/h2>\n

\u767d\u83dc (b\u00e1i c\u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 Chinese cabbage<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are many delicious types of Asian greens<\/a> you can incorporate into your cooking. One of the most popular, Chinese cabbage<\/a>, is well-known in Western culture too.<\/p>\n

\u767d\u83dc<\/strong>\u00a0doesn’t have much taste, but it’s nice and crunchy when eaten raw, and it also complements main dishes when steamed. Apart from its many health benefits<\/a>, it’s also very low in calories.<\/p>\n

In Chinese, the word literally means “white vegetable” or “white dish.”<\/p>\n

\u5927\u8c46 (d\u00e0 d\u00f2u)<\/em> \u2014 Soybean<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Soy sauce, tofu, soy milk… Chinese cuisine has a lot of vegetarian\/vegan options we’re all familiar with nowadays\u2014and we love them too!<\/p>\n

Soybeans are a native Chinese vegetable widely used in recipes and, thanks to their high fiber content<\/a>, they’re also a great digestive help.<\/p>\n

If we split the word \u5927\u8c46<\/strong>\u00a0in two, it means “big bean.”<\/p>\n

\u8304\u5b50 (qi\u00e9 zi)<\/em> \u2014 Chinese eggplant<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Although similar to “regular” eggplant, this Chinese vegetable<\/a> is a bit longer, darker and sweeter. It’s quite often used in Chinese stir-fry recipes.<\/p>\n

The English translation of Chinese vegetables often includes the word “Chinese,” but of course, the Mandarin word for Chinese eggplant simply means “eggplant.”<\/p>\n

The word is the same whether we’re talking about the bigger, darker Chinese eggplant or the one you’re used to seeing in your local shop.<\/p>\n

\u82b1\u751f (hu\u0101 sh\u0113ng)<\/em> \u2014 Peanut<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

A peanut is actually classified as a legume<\/a>! Similar to beans and peas, it’s an edible seed. Chinese dishes often contain peanuts or peanut oil\u2014much more than we’re used to in Western cooking.<\/p>\n

“Peanut” in Chinese is rather interesting when broken down:<\/p>\n

\u82b1 (hu\u0101)<\/em> \u2014 flower<\/p>\n

\u751f (sh\u0113ng)<\/em> \u2014 to be born\/raw<\/p>\n

\u51ac\u74dc (d\u014dng gu\u0101)<\/em> \u2014 Winter melon<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Similar to zucchini or cucumber, winter melon is usually added to stir-fry or braised dishes in Chinese cuisine. One very popular Chinese dish is winter melon soup<\/a> (winter melon mixed with meat broth).<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, Chinese melon is quite different than cantaloupe or watermelon.<\/p>\n

\u5c0f\u767d\u83dc (xi\u01ceo b\u00e1i c\u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 Bok choy<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bok choy is very similar to Chinese cabbage. In Western culture, they’re often considered the same vegetable, which isn’t entirely wrong. Bok choy is cooked more or less the same way as Chinese cabbage\u2014it’s usually stir-fried or steamed before being added to another dish.<\/p>\n

Interestingly, the English word for \u5c0f\u767d\u83dc<\/strong> is bok choy, but it literally means “small white vegetable” in Chinese.<\/p>\n

Note that bok choy uses two of the same Chinese characters found in the word for Chinese cabbage.<\/p>\n

\u97ed\u83dc (ji<\/em>\u01d4 <\/em>c\u00e0i<\/em>)<\/em> \u2014 Garlic chive<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Coming from southwestern China, garlic chives<\/a> are not only cultivated for culinary use but also for use as decorative plants.<\/p>\n

The name literally translates as “leek vegetable.”<\/p>\n

\u767d\u841d\u535c (b\u00e1i lu\u00f3 bo)<\/em> \u2014 White radish<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When eaten raw, white radish<\/a> might be considered too bitter. Westerners are usually familiar with its pickled version.<\/p>\n

In Chinese cuisine, pickled white radish salad is often served as a side dish. It’s very low in calories and completely fat-free.<\/p>\n

\u7eff\u8c46 (l\u01dc d\u00f2u)<\/em> \u2014 Green bean<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Often fried in sesame oil, green beans are a Chinese vegetable eaten both as part of the main dish (stir-fry, mostly) and on their own as a side dish.<\/p>\n

In Western culture, green beans are not an exception when it comes to sides either, but the Chinese usually use soy sauce, garlic and ginger to add taste.<\/p>\n

\u7b0b (s\u01d4n)<\/em> \u2014 Bamboo shoot<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bamboo is known for its incredible strength\u2014the Chinese even use it to build skyscrapers<\/a> nowadays. It’s also incredibly popular in Chinese cuisine.<\/p>\n

The process of cooking bamboo shoots<\/a> is long, but that doesn’t stop the Chinese people from including this mild-flavored vegetable in their dishes. Bamboo shoots are usually served as a nice complement to stir-fries.<\/p>\n

\u82e6\u74dc (k\u01d4 gu\u0101)<\/em> \u2014 Bitter melon<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Bitter melon is an acquired taste, and it gets its name from its flavor! In fact, it gets more bitter as it ripens. However, it’s sometimes called a “gentleman’s vegetable,”<\/a> because the bitterness doesn’t transfer to other foods when cooked together.<\/p>\n

And, while not officially approved for medicinal use, bitter melon has been used as a home remedy for diabetes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u8c46\u89d2 (d\u00f2u ji\u01ceo)<\/em> \u2014 Chinese long beans<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese-long-beans\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chinese long beans are usually picked when they’re about 18 inches long, but they can actually grow to three feet! They are similar to green beans (though not quite as sweet) and more closely related to asparagus.<\/p>\n

Chinese long beans can be eaten raw or cooked, and work particularly well when paired with Southeast Asian spices.<\/p>\n

\u82b1\u6930\u83dc (hu\u0101 y\u0113 c\u00e0i)<\/em> \u2014 Cauliflower<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In Chinese cuisine, you’ll often see cauliflower included in stir-fries. The first character \u82b1<\/strong> literally means “flower,” because the vegetable is technically a flower\u2014and it looks a bit like a bouquet of flowers, don’t you think?<\/p>\n

In some areas, \u82b1\u6930\u83dc<\/strong> is also the word used for broccoli, so you may hear the word “white” first to distinguish cauliflower specifically, as in \u767d\u82b1\u6930\u83dc\u00a0(b\u00e1i hu\u0101 y\u00e9 c\u00e0i)<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\u82a5\u5170 (ji\u00e8 l\u00e1n)<\/em> \u2014 Chinese broccoli<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese-chinese-broccoli\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Chinese broccoli is a leafy green vegetable that tastes a bit more bitter than broccoli itself. Like broccoli, though, \u82a5\u5170<\/strong> is high in nutrients and low in calories.<\/p>\n

It’s often boiled, steamed or served in stir-fries. Chinese broccoli is obviously popular in Chinese dishes, though it’s included in many Vietnamese and Thai dishes as well.<\/p>\n

\u83b2\u85d5 (li\u00e1n \u01d2u)<\/em> \u2014 Lotus root<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese-lotus-root\"<\/a><\/p>\n

When the cylindrical lotus root plant is sliced, the resulting discs have a unique pattern of either seven or nine holes in a circle. In China, \u83b2\u85d5<\/strong> is usually harvested manually and is therefore one of the more expensive vegetables on the market.<\/p>\n

This crunchy veggie is used in many Chinese vegetarian meals. When boiled, however, it takes on a softer texture. You’ll want to use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin, but the root itself is high in fiber.<\/p>\n

\u7eff\u8c46\u82bd (l\u01dc d\u00f2u y\u00e1)<\/em> \u2014 Mung bean sprouts<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

In English, \u7eff\u8c46\u82bd<\/strong> are often simply called “bean sprouts.” Many Asian countries (like China, India and Thailand) use mung bean sprouts in traditional foods. You might find them in salads, soups or stir-fries.<\/p>\n

You may be interested to know that you can grow mung bean sprouts yourself. In fact, the process usually only takes a few days<\/a>!<\/p>\n

This is another pretty literal translation: You already know \u7eff<\/strong>\u00a0and \u8c46<\/strong>, so can you guess what \u82bd<\/strong> means? Yep! It means “sprout.”<\/p>\n

\u828b\u5934 (y\u00f9 tou)<\/em> \u2014 Taro<\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Somewhat similar to yams and sweet potatoes, \u828b\u5934<\/strong> is a popular and versatile ingredient in China. It might be braised and added to meat dishes, mashed, used in dumplings or served with other vegetables… Well, you get the idea.<\/p>\n

Taro is often used in desserts, too! It can be found in traditional buns<\/a>, as a flavor of ice cream or even as bubble milk tea<\/a>. You can usually spot it by its distinct lavender color.<\/p>\n

\u83f1\u89d2 (l\u00edng ji\u01ceo)<\/em> \u2014 Water chestnut<\/h3>\n

\"vegetables-in-chinese-water-chestnut\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Water chestnuts are so named because of their appearance\u2014a brown, paper-like outside over a lighter inside\u2014but they are actually a vegetable.<\/p>\n

\u83f1\u89d2<\/strong> can be eaten raw or cooked. They may be sweetened, too, and are sometimes made into water chestnut cake<\/a>, a popular dim sum dish.<\/p>\n

Common Western Vegetables<\/h2>\n

What’s popular in western countries is a bit different from what’s popular in China.<\/p>\n

This table shows some favorite Western vegetables in Chinese, along with the pinyin and English translations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Chinese<\/th>Pinyin<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u82a6\u7b0b <\/a>\n <\/td>l\u00fa s\u01d4n<\/em><\/td>Asparagus<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u897f\u5170\u82b1 <\/a>\n <\/td>x\u012b l\u00e1n hu\u0101<\/em><\/td>Broccoli<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5c0f\u6d0b\u767d\u83dc <\/a>\n <\/td>xi\u01ceo y\u00e1ng b\u00e1i c\u00e0i<\/em><\/td>Brussels sprout<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u80e1\u841d\u535c <\/a>\n <\/td>h\u00fa lu\u00f3 bo<\/em><\/td>Carrot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u82b9\u83dc <\/a>\n <\/td>q\u00edn c\u00e0i<\/em><\/td>Celery<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u9ec4\u74dc <\/a>\n <\/td>hu\u00e1ng gu\u0101<\/em><\/td>Cucumber<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u9752\u6912 <\/a>\n <\/td>q\u012bng ji\u0101o<\/em><\/td>Green bell pepper<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
(\u6d0b)\u8471 <\/a>\n <\/td>(y\u00e1ng) c\u014dng<\/em><\/td>Green onion*<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u751f\u83dc <\/a>\n <\/td>sh\u0113ng c\u00e0i<\/em><\/td>Lettuce<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u571f\u8c46 <\/a>\n <\/td>t\u01d4 d\u00f2u<\/em><\/td>Potato<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u8611\u83c7 <\/a>\n <\/td>m\u00f3 g\u016b<\/em><\/td>Mushroom<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u8c4c\u8c46 <\/a>\n <\/td>w\u0101n d\u00f2u<\/em><\/td>Peas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u83e0\u83dc <\/a>\n <\/td>b\u014d c\u00e0i<\/em><\/td>Spinach<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u751c\u7389\u7c73 <\/a>\n <\/td>ti\u00e1n y\u00f9 m\u01d0<\/em><\/td>Sweet corn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7518\u85af <\/a>\n <\/td>g\u0101n sh\u01d4<\/em><\/td>Sweet potato<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u756a\u8304 <\/a>\n <\/td>f\u0101n qi\u00e9<\/em><\/td>Tomato<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

*In Chinese-speaking regions, green onions are simply referred to as \u8471<\/strong>. In the West, they’re more commonly known as \u6d0b\u8471<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Vegetarian Terms and Veggie Dishes in China<\/h2>\n

If you’ve been to China, finding dishes without meat may seem like a difficult task. But I promise they exist!<\/p>\n

For example, many temples only serve vegetarian meals (the last entry on this list is popular at religious sites, in fact).<\/p>\n

Here are some important vegetarian vocabulary terms,<\/strong> as well as some common vegetable dishes:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Chinese<\/th>Pinyin<\/th>English<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u852c\u83dc <\/a>\n <\/td>sh\u016b c\u00e0i<\/em><\/td>Vegetables<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7d20\u98df <\/a>\n <\/td>s\u00f9 sh\u00ed<\/em><\/td>Vegan\/Vegetarian<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u65e0\u52a8\u7269\u5236\u54c1 <\/a>\n <\/td>w\u00fa d\u00f2ng w\u00f9 zh\u00ec p\u01d0n<\/em><\/td>No animal products<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u690d\u7269\u86cb\u767d\u7d20\u8089 <\/a>\n <\/td>zh\u00ed w\u00f9 d\u00e0n b\u00e1i s\u00f9 r\u00f2u<\/em><\/td>Plant-based meat<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u690d\u7269\u86cb\u767d\u7d20\u9e21 <\/a>\n <\/td>zh\u00ed w\u00f9 d\u00e0n b\u00e1i s\u00f9 j\u012b<\/em><\/td>Plant-based chicken<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7d20\u997a\u5b50 <\/a>\n <\/td>s\u00f9 ji\u01ceo zi<\/em><\/td>Vegetarian dumplings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u849c\u84c9\u897f\u5170\u82b1 <\/a>\n <\/td>su\u00e0n r\u00f3ng x\u012b l\u00e1n hu\u0101<\/em><\/td>Garlic broccoli<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u869d\u6cb9\u82a5\u5170 <\/a>\n <\/td>h\u00e1o y\u00f3u ji\u00e8 l\u00e1n<\/em><\/td>Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5e72\u7178\u56db\u5b63\u8c46 <\/a>\n <\/td>g\u0101n bi\u0101n s\u00ec j\u00ec d\u00f2u<\/em><\/td>Sichuan dry fried green beans<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u62cd\u9ec4\u74dc <\/a>\n <\/td>p\u0101i hu\u00e1ng gu\u0101<\/em><\/td>Smashed cucumber (usually with garlic, vinegar, oil and chili; served cold)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u5730\u4e09\u9c9c <\/a>\n <\/td>d\u00ec s\u0101n xi\u0101n<\/em><\/td>Three Treasures of the Earth (stir-fried potatoes, eggplant and bell peppers)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u7f57\u6c49\u658b <\/a>\n <\/td>lu\u00f3 h\u00e0n zh\u0101i<\/em><\/td>Buddha\u2019s Delight (vegetable medley cooked in soy sauce)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

 <\/p>\n

Now that you’ve got all of this new vegetable vocabulary under your belt, the next time you’re passing by a Chinese food market, don’t hesitate to try something new! Or, if you’re not quite ready to use these words in real conversations, look for them on a program like FluentU<\/a>, where you can study vocabulary in context to boost your confidence and understanding.

FluentU<\/strong> takes authentic videos\u2014like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks\u2014and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.<\/p>\r\n

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You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app<\/a> or Android app.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

P.S. Click here to take advantage of our current sale! (Expires at the end of this month.)<\/a><\/i>\r\n<\/p>\r\n

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