Chinese word

开胃菜

Pronunciation

Pinyinkāi wèi cài

Meaning

  • nounappetizer

Example

聚会开始前，先准备一些开胃菜。jù huì kāi shǐ qián xiān zhǔn bèi yì xiē kāi wèi cài

Before the party starts, prepare some appetizers.

Illustration for 开胃菜 (appetizer)

More examples

我们先点一些开胃菜，再点主菜。wǒ men xiān diǎn yì xiē kāi wèi cài zài diǎn zhǔ cài

We'll order some appetizers first, then order the main dish.

Core concept

A light dish that wakes up the appetite at the beginning of a meal.

Common phrases

  • 准备开胃菜zhǔn bèi kāi wèi cài

    prepare appetizers

  • 点开胃菜diǎn kāi wèi cài

    order appetizers

  • 开胃菜拼盘kāi wèi cài pīn pán

    appetizer platter

Similar words

小菜xiǎo cài: A small, homestyle dish set out in modest amounts for everyone to share before the main course.
凉菜liáng cài: A chilled side dish with a fresh, light taste that stimulates the appetite.
前菜qián cài: A light first course served at the start of a meal as an introduction to the main course.

Definition in Chinese

以刺激食欲为目的，在主菜前提供的各种小菜或冷盘。yǐ cì jī shí yù wèi mù dì zài zhǔ cài qián tí gōng de gè zhǒng xiǎo cài huò lěng pán

Word origin

开胃菜 (kāiwèicài, "appetizer") combines 开 (kāi, "open") + 胃 (wèi, "stomach") + 菜 (cài, "dish"), linking the dish with the idea of opening the stomach before eating more.

Usage tips

  • On menus and in conversation, the category can include both cold plates and small cooked dishes, because serving purpose matters more than temperature.

Opposites

Related words

  • 开胃kāi wèiappetizingadjective
  • 开胃酒kāi wèi jiǔaperitifnoun

Word lists with this word