Chinese word

白菜

Pronunciation

Pinyinbái cài

Meaning

  • nounChinese cabbage

Example

这道汤里放了很多白菜。zhè dào tāng lǐ fàng le hěn duō bái cài

This soup has a lot of Chinese cabbage in it.

Illustration for 白菜 (Chinese cabbage)

More examples

我们在市场买了一棵白菜。wǒ men zài shì chǎng mǎi le yì kē bái cài

We bought one head of Chinese cabbage at the market.

Core concept

A large leafy head with tightly layered leaves and a pale inner heart.

Common phrases

  • 买白菜mǎi bái cài

    buy Chinese cabbage

  • 吃白菜chī bái cài

    eat Chinese cabbage

  • 一棵白菜yì kē bái cài

    one head of Chinese cabbage

Similar words

蔬菜shū cài: Plants cultivated as food for people.
青菜qīng cài: Green leafy vegetables eaten as food.
卷心菜juǎn xīn cài: A green cabbage whose leaves wrap into a round head.

Definition in Chinese

一种叶心常带白色或淡黄色、叶片层叠且体积较大的叶菜，广泛作为炖汤、涮锅和制作泡菜的原料。yì zhǒng yè xīn cháng dài bái sè huò dàn huáng sè yè piàn céng dié qiě tǐ jī jiào dà de yè cài guǎng fàn zuò wéi dùn tāng shuàn guō hé zhì zuò pào cài de yuán liào

Word origin

白菜 (báicài, "Chinese cabbage") is formed from 白 (bái, "white") + 菜 (cài, "vegetable"), pointing to the pale inner leaves of this leafy vegetable.

Usage tips

  • The fixed phrase 白菜价 (báicài jià, "cabbage price") describes something extremely cheap, linking this everyday vegetable with low cost in advertisements and conversation.

Related words

  • 白菜价bái cài jiàbargain pricenoun

Word lists with this word