Chinese word

茄子

Pronunciation

Pinyinqié zi

Meaning

  • nouneggplant

Example

我今天买了两个茄子。wǒ jīn tiān mǎi le liǎng gè qié zi

I bought two eggplants today.

Illustration for 茄子 (eggplant)

More examples

市场上有一家卖茄子的摊位，顾客很多。shì chǎng shàng yǒu yì jiā mài qié zi de tān wèi gù kè hěn duō

There is a stall selling eggplant at the market, and it has many customers.

Core concept

A smooth-skinned garden fruit with soft flesh, commonly purple or green and either round or long, that is cooked as a vegetable.

Common phrases

  • 卖茄子的摊位mài qié zi de tān wèi

    stall selling eggplant

  • 新鲜茄子xīn xiān qié zi

    fresh eggplant

Similar words

黄瓜huáng guā: A crisp, long green vegetable commonly served raw, especially in salads.
西红柿xī hóng shì: A red, round vegetable used both fresh and in cooked dishes.
辣椒là jiāo: A small hot fruit used mainly to season dishes and give them a spicy taste.
胡萝卜hú luó bo: A long, narrow orange root that is eaten as a vegetable.

Definition in Chinese

一种常见蔬菜，指茄科植物的可食用果实，果皮多为紫色或绿色，形状有圆形或长条形。yì zhǒng cháng jiàn shū cài zhǐ qié kē zhí wù de kě shí yòng guǒ shí guǒ pí duō wèi zǐ sè huò lǜ sè xíng zhuàng yǒu yuán xíng huò cháng tiáo xíng

Word origin

茄 (qié, "eggplant") + 子 (zi, "noun-forming suffix") forms 茄子 (qiézi, "eggplant"), combining the plant name with an ending that creates a concrete noun.

Usage tips

  • In everyday counting, 个 (gè, "individual") often works for a whole eggplant, while 条 (tiáo, "long item") often suits a long, slender one.

Word lists with this word