Chinese Vocabulary · 中文词汇
Food, Animal and Plant Words in Chinese
饮食与动植物词汇 yǐnshí yǔ dòngzhíwù cíhuì
Every year around the Dragon Boat Festival (端午节, Duānwǔ Jié), Taiwan has a friendly food fight: northern zongzi versus southern zongzi. In the north, the 粽子 (zòngzi) is made with stir-fried sticky rice and steamed, with a rich savory flavor. In the south, the rice goes in raw and the zongzi is boiled, often with 花生 (huāshēng, peanuts) inside and dipped in a sweet sauce. Ask Taiwanese people which one is the “real” zongzi, and you will hear a heated debate!
On the table
Food and Ingredient Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 醋 | cù | Vinegar | 식초 | 酢 |
| 花生 | huāshēng | Peanut | 땅콩 | ピーナッツ |
| 酱油 | jiàngyóu | Soy sauce | 간장 | しょうゆ |
| 面粉 | miànfěn | Flour | 밀가루 | 小麦粉 |
| 薯片 | shǔpiàn | Potato chips | 감자칩 | ポテトチップス |
| 糖果 | tángguǒ | Candy; sweets | 사탕 | キャンディー |
| 汤圆 | tāngyuán | Glutinous rice ball (tangyuan) | 탕위안(찹쌀 경단) | 湯圓(白玉団子) |
| 香肠 | xiāngcháng | Sausage | 소시지 | ソーセージ |
| 小麦 | xiǎomài | Wheat | 밀 | 小麦 |
| 元宵 | yuánxiāo | Yuanxiao (glutinous rice ball) | 위안샤오(찹쌀 경단) | 元宵(団子) |
| 粥 | zhōu | Congee; porridge | 죽 | おかゆ |
| 粽子 | zòngzi | Zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) | 쭝쯔(찹쌀 주먹밥) | ちまき |
元宵 (yuánxiāo) vs 汤圆 (tāngyuán)
Both are round glutinous rice balls eaten at the Lantern Festival. In northern China, 元宵 (yuánxiāo) are usually made by rolling a filling in rice flour, while in the south, 汤圆 (tāngyuán) are made by wrapping a filling in dough. In Taiwan, people mostly say 汤圆 (tāngyuán), and they also eat it on the winter solstice.
Putting it all together
Examples
做麵條要用麵粉，吃麵時可以加醬油和醋做面条要用面粉，吃面时可以加酱油和醋Making noodles requires flour, and when you eat them you can add soy sauce and vinegar.
元宵節那天，全家人一起吃湯圓，小孩還想吃糖果元宵节那天，全家人一起吃汤圆，小孩还想吃糖果On the Lantern Festival, the whole family eats tangyuan together, and the kids also want candy.
Fields and forests
Animal and Plant Words in Chinese
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | Korean | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 菊花 | júhuā | Chrysanthemum | 국화 | 菊 |
| 兰花 | lánhuā | Orchid | 난초 | ラン |
| 狼 | láng | Wolf | 늑대 | オオカミ |
| 老鼠 | lǎoshǔ | Mouse; rat | 쥐 | ネズミ |
| 蚂蚁 | mǎyǐ | Ant | 개미 | アリ |
| 梅花 | méihuā | Plum blossom | 매화 | 梅の花 |
| 蜜蜂 | mìfēng | Bee; honeybee | 꿀벌 | ミツバチ |
| 鲨鱼 | shāyú | Shark | 상어 | サメ |
| 狮子 | shīzi | Lion | 사자 | ライオン |
| 水稻 | shuǐdào | Rice plant; paddy rice | 벼 | 稲 |
| 乌龟 | wūguī | Turtle; tortoise | 거북이 | カメ |
| 庄稼 | zhuāngjia | Crops | 농작물 | 作物 |
Plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum
梅花 (méihuā) (plum blossom), 兰花 (lánhuā) (orchid), 竹 (zhú) (bamboo) and 菊花 (júhuā) (chrysanthemum) are known together as 梅兰竹菊 (méi lán zhú jú), the “four gentlemen” of Chinese art, and each stands for a noble quality. The plum blossom is also the national flower of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Putting it all together
Examples
農夫在稻田種水稻，莊稼長得很好农夫在稻田种水稻，庄稼长得很好The farmer grows rice in the paddy, and the crops are growing well.
蜜蜂在梅花和菊花之間飛來飛去蜜蜂在梅花和菊花之间飞来飞去Bees fly back and forth between the plum blossoms and the chrysanthemums.
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