Chinese word

蔬菜

Pronunciation

Pinyinshū cài

Meaning

  • nounvegetables

Example

这个市场的蔬菜很新鲜。zhè ge shì chǎng de shū cài hěn xīn xiān

The vegetables at this market are very fresh.

Illustration for 蔬菜 (vegetables)

More examples

做饭前要先洗蔬菜。zuò fàn qián yào xiān xǐ shū cài

Before cooking, wash the vegetables first.

Core concept

Edible leaves, roots, stems, and fruits gathered for ordinary meals.

Common phrases

  • 洗蔬菜xǐ shū cài

    wash vegetables

  • 切蔬菜qiē shū cài

    slice vegetables

  • 保存蔬菜bǎo cún shū cài

    preserve vegetables

Similar words

菜cài: A casual everyday term for vegetables used as food.
水果shuí guǒ: Fruits that are edible and considered as food.

Definition in Chinese

指供食用的植物，通常指可作为配菜或主料的叶、根、茎或果实等部分。zhǐ gòng shí yòng de zhí wù tōng cháng zhǐ kě zuò wéi pèi cài huò zhǔ liào de yè gēn jīng huò guǒ shí děng bù fèn

Word origin

蔬 (shū, "edible plant") + 菜 (cài, "vegetable or dish") joins an older plant-food term with a common food term to create a general category name.

Usage tips

  • In everyday shopping language, Chinese often pairs this noun with amounts or measure words rather than adding an English-style plural ending, distinguishing a category from a particular purchase.

Opposites

  • 肉类ròu lèimeatnoun

Related words

  • 蔬菜汤shū cài tāngvegetable soupnoun
  • 蔬菜拼盘shū cài pīn pánvegetable platternoun

Word lists with this word