Chinese word

冷菜

Pronunciation

Pinyinlěng cài

Meaning

  • nouncold dish

Example

这道冷菜很清爽，适合夏天。zhè dào lěng cài hěn qīng shuǎng shì hé xià tiān

This cold dish is refreshing and good for summer.

Illustration for 冷菜 (cold dish)

More examples

吃冷菜可以解暑，不会太油腻。chī lěng cài ké yǐ jié shǔ bú huì tài yóu nì

Cold dishes can help beat the heat and are not too greasy.

Core concept

Food cooled, seasoned, and served ready to eat, whether it is made from vegetables, meat, or seafood.

Common phrases

  • 冷菜拼盘lěng cài pīn pán

    cold dish platter

  • 点冷菜diǎn lěng cài

    order a cold dish

  • 一盘冷菜yì pán lěng cài

    a plate of cold dishes

Similar words

凉菜liáng cài: A general term for a refreshing cold dish served with a meal.
开胃菜kāi wèi cài: A light opening dish intended to make people feel hungry for the meal.
凉拌菜liáng bàn cài: A cold mixed dish made by tossing ingredients with sauce or other seasonings.
冷盘lěng pán: A platter of cold dishes served early at a banquet or as a snack.

Definition in Chinese

指冷却后调味并可直接食用的菜肴，既包括凉拌蔬菜，也包括作为冷盘的肉类或海鲜。zhǐ lěng què hòu tiáo wèi bìng kě zhí jiē shí yòng de cài yáo jì bāo kuò liáng bàn shū cài yě bāo kuò zuò wéi lěng pán de ròu lèi huò hǎi xiān

Word origin

冷 (lěng, "cold") + 菜 (cài, "dish") combines a serving temperature with the broad word for a prepared dish, covering chilled vegetables as well as meat and seafood.

Usage tips

  • In restaurant menus, this category often appears among the first dishes served, and it can be shared at the table rather than ordered as an individual starter.

Other meanings

  • cold appetizernoun
  • cold side dishnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word