Chinese word

点心

Pronunciation

Pinyindiǎn xīn

Meaning

  • noundim sum

Example

这家店的点心很受欢迎。zhè jiā diàn de diǎn xīn hěn shòu huān yíng

The dim sum at this shop is very popular.

Illustration for 点心 (dim sum)

More examples

他早餐只吃一点点心就出门了。tā zǎo cān zhǐ chī yì dián diǎn xīn jiù chū mén le

He ate only a little dim sum for breakfast before leaving.

Core concept

A spread of modest bites that sits between a snack and a meal, often arriving as several shared dishes.

Common phrases

  • 品尝点心pǐn cháng diǎn xīn

    taste dim sum

  • 广东点心guǎng dōng diǎn xīn

    Cantonese dim sum

  • 下午茶点心xià wǔ chá diǎn xīn

    afternoon tea treats

Similar words

小吃xiǎo chī: A quick snack sold by street vendors or small local shops.
糕点gāo diǎn: Cakes and pastries made from wheat or rice flour and steamed or baked.
甜点tián diǎn: A sweet dish or treat served after a meal.
零食líng shí: A snack or sweet eaten in small amounts during the day.

Definition in Chinese

指可直接食用的小份食品，常在喝茶或早茶时以多种小盘或点心车上桌共享，也可泛指作为零食或饭后甜点的甜咸小吃。zhǐ kě zhí jiē shí yòng de xiǎo fèn shí pǐn cháng zài hē chá huò zǎo chá shí yǐ duō zhǒng xiǎo pán huò diǎn xīn chē shàng zhuō gòng xiǎng yě kě fàn zhǐ zuò wéi líng shí huò fàn hòu tián diǎn de tián xián xiǎo chī

Word origin

点心 (diǎnxīn, "touch the heart") first described a small bite that eased hunger and later became the name for the sweet and savory foods served in small portions.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect one fixed dish from the term, but Chinese uses it as a broad food category whose contents vary from steamed savory pieces to cakes and other small sweets.

Other meanings

  • snacknoun
  • light mealnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • 点心师diǎn xīn shīdim sum chefnoun

Word lists with this word