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Vegetables and greens hold an important place in Chinese cuisine. They are nutritious, affordable, and delicious.
From crunchy bok choy to juicy tomato - this article will introduce you to popular greens and vegetables.
Chinese Names for Vegetables and Greens
01. Vegetables in Chinese
Let's start with the basics and learn how to say "vegetables" in Chinese:
蔬菜
shū cài
vegetables
The term for greens in Chinese is 青菜 (qīng cài), which refers to green vegetables in general:
青菜
qīng cài
green vegetables, greens
02. Vegetarian Diet in Chinese
The term for vegetarian diet in Chinese is "素食 (sù shí)", where the word "素 sù" means plain, simple, and "食 shí" means food.
This term is widely used in restaurants, menus, and among people who follow a vegetarian lifestyle in China.
素食
sù shí
vegetarian diet
Additionally, someone who is a vegetarian can be referred to as "素食者 (sù shí zhě)," where "者 (zhě)" means person or practitioner.
素食者
sù shí zhě
vegetarian
NOTE
If you're in a restaurant and would like to ask if they have a vegetarian menu, you can say:
请问，有素食菜单吗？
Qǐng wèn, yǒu sù shí cài dān ma?
Excuse me, do you have a vegetarian menu?
03. Chinese Native Vegetables
China is home to a wide variety of native vegetables that are commonly used in its cuisine. Some of the most well-known include:
白菜
bái cài
Chinese cabbage
油菜
yóu cài
bok choy
茄子
qié zi
eggplant
芥蓝
jiè lán
Chinese kale
莲藕
lián ǒu
lotus root
04. Common Vegetables
Other well-known vegetables also play a crucial role in Chinese dishes. Here are a few examples:
黄瓜
huáng guā
cucumber
胡萝卜
hú luó bo
carrot
西红柿
xī hóng shì
tomato
花菜
huā cài
cauliflower
西兰花
xī lán huā
broccoli
土豆
tǔ dòu
potato
洋葱
yáng cōng
onion
青椒
qīng jiāo
green bell pepper
05. Measure Words for Vegetables
When going to a Chinese market, you'll find it helpful to know the measure words for vegetables:
个 (gè) - general measure word.
EXAMPLE
请给我三个西红柿。
Qǐng gěi wǒ sān gè xī hóng shì.
Please give me three tomatoes.
根 (gēn) - for long, thin items.
EXAMPLE
我想买两根胡萝卜。
Wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng gēn hú luó bo.
I want to buy two carrots.
棵 (kē) - for plants that grow as a whole.
EXAMPLE
我要一棵白菜。
Wǒ yào yì kē bái cài.
I want one Chinese cabbage.