Chinese word

海鲜

Pronunciation

Pinyinhǎi xiān

Meaning

  • nounseafood

Example

我喜欢吃海鲜。wǒ xǐ huān chī hǎi xiān

I like eating seafood.

Illustration for 海鲜 (seafood)

More examples

周末我们在海鲜市场挑选新鲜的海鲜。zhōu mò wǒ men zài hǎi xiān shì chǎng tiāo xuǎn xīn xiān de hǎi xiān

On weekends, we choose fresh seafood at the seafood market.

Core concept

Food brought from the ocean to the table, with freshness as its defining appeal.

Common phrases

  • 吃海鲜chī hǎi xiān

    eat seafood

  • 买海鲜mǎi hǎi xiān

    buy seafood

  • 海鲜市场hǎi xiān shì chǎng

    seafood market

Similar words

鱼yú: A fish, an aquatic animal commonly used as food.
虾xiā: A shrimp or prawn, a small shelled crustacean commonly used in cooking.
贝bèi: A broad term for shelled mollusks such as clams and snails, some used as food.

Definition in Chinese

指来自海洋、以食用为目的的海产，侧重于新鲜性，包括鱼类、甲壳类、贝类等多种海洋食品。zhǐ lái zì hǎi yáng yǐ shí yòng wèi mù dì de hái chǎn cè zhòng yú xīn xiān xìng bāo kuò yú lèi jiǎ qiào lèi bèi lèi děng duō zhǒng hǎi yáng shí pǐn

Word origin

The compound joins 海 (hǎi, "sea") with 鲜 (xiān, "fresh") to describe sea-produced food in terms of both where it comes from and how it is valued.

Usage tips

  • The word does not by itself mean raw or alive; cooking, preparation, or freshness is stated separately when that detail matters.

Related words

  • 海鲜店hǎi xiān diànseafood shopnoun
  • 海鲜市场hǎi xiān shì chǎngseafood marketnoun

Word lists with this word