Chinese word

酥

Pronunciation

Pinyinsū

Meaning

  • adjectivecrumbly

Example

这块酥饼，一碰就碎。zhè kuài sū bǐng yí pèng jiù suì

This crumbly pastry breaks apart at the slightest touch.

Illustration for 酥 (crumbly)

More examples

这只烤鸡表皮香酥，刀切下去肉汁丰富。zhè zhǐ kǎo jī biǎo pí xiāng sū dāo qiē xià qù ròu zhī fēng fù

The skin of this roast chicken is fragrant and crisp, and the meat is juicy when cut.

Core concept

Layers in a food that loosen and scatter into delicate pieces as the fingers or teeth press them.

Common phrases

  • 香酥可口xiāng sū ké kǒu

    fragrant and deliciously crisp

  • 入口即酥rù kǒu jí sū

    crumbles instantly in the mouth

Similar words

脆cuì: Hard and crisp, snapping easily with a clear sound when bitten.
松软sōng ruǎn: Soft and airy, with gentle springiness that slowly returns after being pressed.
酥脆sū cuì: Crisp on the outside and flaky inside, breaking into light, fragrant pieces.

Definition in Chinese

形容食物质地松散易碎，触碰或咀嚼时容易在口中碎开并呈层次状分离。xíng róng shí wù zhì dì sōng sǎn yì suì chù pèng huò jǔ jué shí róng yì zài kǒu zhōng suì kāi bìng chéng céng cì zhuàng fēn lí

Word origin

酥 (sū, "crumbly") began as a name for refined dairy fat and related foods, then extended to foods whose rich, layered structure easily separates into small pieces.

Usage tips

  • On menus, this adjective often appears inside the name of a pastry, so recognizing it as a texture label helps distinguish the food's structure from its filling or flavor.

Other meanings

  • crispadjective
  • brittleadjective

Opposites

  • 黏糯nián nuòsticky and chewyadjective

Related words

  • 香酥xiāng sūfragrant and crispadjective
  • 酥糖sū tángcrisp candynoun

Word lists with this word