Chinese word

番茄

Pronunciation

Pinyinfān qié

Meaning

  • nountomato

Example

番茄很好吃。fān qié hěn hǎo chī

Tomatoes are delicious.

Illustration for 番茄 (tomato)

More examples

晚餐我做了番茄炒蛋。wǎn cān wǒ zuò le fān qié chǎo dàn

For dinner, I made tomato and egg stir-fry.

Core concept

A red, juicy fruit that belongs in both a fresh salad and a cooked dish.

Common phrases

  • 番茄酱fān qié jiàng

    tomato ketchup

  • 番茄炒蛋fān qié chǎo dàn

    tomato and egg stir-fry

  • 新鲜番茄xīn xiān fān qié

    fresh tomato

Similar words

西红柿xī hóng shì: A red, round cooking ingredient used in dishes such as stir-fries and soups.

Definition in Chinese

番茄是茄科植物所结的可食用果实，成熟时多为红色，可生食也常用于烹饪和加工。fān qié shì qié kē zhí wù suǒ jié de kě shí yòng guǒ shí chéng shú shí duō wèi hóng sè kě shēng shí yě cháng yòng yú pēng rèn hé jiā gōng

Word origin

番 (fān, "foreign") + 茄 (qié, "eggplant") presents the tomato as an eggplant-like plant from abroad, a name linked to its arrival from the Americas.

Usage tips

  • The second syllable of 番茄 (fānqié, "tomato") has a rising tone, so its sound ends by moving upward rather than staying flat.

Related words

  • 番茄酱fān qié jiàngtomato ketchupnoun
  • 番茄汁fān qié zhītomato juicenoun
  • 番茄红素fān qié hóng sùlycopenenoun

Word lists with this word