Chinese word

瓜

Pronunciation

Pinyinguā

Meaning

  • nounmelon

Example

夏天的市场有很多瓜。xià tiān de shì chǎng yǒu hěn duō guā

There are many melons at the summer market.

Illustration for 瓜 (melon)

More examples

午后我们切了一块甜瓜当作点心。wǔ hòu wǒ men qiē le yí kuài tián guā dàng zuò diǎn xīn

In the afternoon, we cut a piece of sweet melon for a snack.

Core concept

A vine-grown fruit category ranging from juicy melons and watermelons to edible gourds.

Common phrases

  • 甜瓜tián guā

    sweet melon

  • 瓜果guā guǒ

    melons and fruit

Similar words

西瓜xī guā: A large fruit with a thick skin, plenty of water, and sweet flesh.
黄瓜huáng guā: A long green vegetable commonly eaten fresh without cooking.
水果shuí guǒ: Fruit that is eaten as food, including many different kinds.
南瓜nán guā: A round, soft-fleshed vegetable commonly used in dishes and soup.

Definition in Chinese

指葫芦科或类似藤本植物的果实，通常为可食用的较大果实，包含西瓜、哈密瓜等瓜类。zhǐ hú lú kē huò lèi sì téng běn zhí wù de guǒ shí tōng cháng wèi kě shí yòng de jiào dà guǒ shí bāo hán xī guā hā mì guā děng guā lèi

Word origin

The character 瓜 (guā, "melon") was shaped as a picture of a fruit hanging from a vine, which matches its broad use for vine-grown fruits.

Usage tips

  • When a fruit is cut, Chinese often changes the classifier: a whole 瓜 (guā, "melon") can take 个 (gè, "general classifier"), while a cut piece can take 块 (kuài, "piece") or 片 (piàn, "slice").

Other meanings

  • watermelonnoun
  • melons and gourdsnoun

Related words

  • 甜瓜tián guāsweet melonnoun
  • 瓜果guā guǒmelons and fruitnoun

Word lists with this word