Chinese word

馒头

Pronunciation

Pinyinmán tou

Meaning

  • nounsteamed bun

Example

这家店的馒头很好吃。zhè jiā diàn de mán tou hěn hǎo chī

The steamed buns at this shop are delicious.

Illustration for 馒头 (steamed bun)

More examples

孩子们喜欢把馒头蘸着酱吃。hái zi men xǐ huān bǎ mán tou zhàn zhe jiàng chī

The children like to dip steamed buns in sauce and eat them.

Core concept

A soft, airy piece of wheat dough that becomes a plain white staple through steaming.

Common phrases

  • 吃馒头chī mán tou

    eat steamed buns

  • 蒸馒头zhēng mán tou

    steam buns

  • 早餐吃馒头zǎo cān chī mán tou

    eat steamed buns for breakfast

Similar words

包子bāo zi: A steamed dough staple filled with meat, vegetables, or other ingredients.
面包miàn bāo: Bread made mainly from wheat flour and cooked by baking.
饺子jiǎo zi: A dish of dough wrappers filled with meat or vegetables and boiled, steamed, or pan-fried.

Definition in Chinese

用发面的面团蒸制而成的中式主食，通常不包馅，外观白色，口感松软可口。yòng fā miàn de miàn tuán zhēng zhì ér chéng de zhōng shì zhǔ shí tōng cháng bù bāo xiàn wài guān bái sè kóu gǎn sōng ruǎn ké kǒu

Word origin

馒头 (mántou, "steamed bun") is an old Chinese food term that now commonly denotes the plain, usually unfilled steamed form.

Usage tips

  • English "bun" can suggest a baked item or a filled item, so its Chinese counterpart may create a different expectation when ordering food.

Related words

  • 肉馒头ròu mán toumeat-filled steamed bunnoun
  • 馒头铺mán tou pùsteamed-bun shopnoun

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