培根
péigēn
In Chinese, the English word bacon is translated as 培根 (péigēn). Wiktionary also lists 熏鹹肉 (xūn xiánròu) and 燻肉 /熏肉 (xūnròu).
Meaning: cut of meat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 熏鹹肉 | xūn xiánròu |
| 培根 | péigēn |
| 燻肉 /熏肉 | xūnròu |
| 鹹肉 /咸肉 | xiánròu |
培根 is a phonetic loanword specifically used for Western-style bacon. Other forms like 熏肉 or 熏鹹肉 describe meat that has been smoked or salted.
Which one should you use?
培根 is a phonetic loanword used specifically for Western-style bacon and is the most common term found on modern menus for Western breakfast items. In contrast, 熏肉 refers more generally to any smoked meat rather than the specific Western breakfast meat. 鹹肉 refers to salted meat.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
péigēn
Did you know?
- In many Cantonese-speaking regions, if you ask for 'bacon' using the term 培根, you might be served a slice of processed ham rather than the crispy, smoked strips common in Western breakfasts.
- In some regional Chinese cuisines, 鹹肉 is not just a side dish but is used as a seasoning to add a deep 'umami' flavor to vegetable stir-fries or tofu.
- When looking at older recipes, you might see the term 臘肉, which is a specific type of cured, dried meat that is a cultural relative to 'bacon' but is often eaten in much smaller, concentrated quantities.
Examples in context
- BLT 代表培根、生菜和番茄。BLT stands for bacon, lettuce and tomato.This sentence shows how to use 培根 in the context of a sandwich description.Tatoeba #13539360 by LeviHighway, translation #2747481 by Hybrid
- 你要培根还是要香肠?Would you like bacon or sausage?This sentence is useful for using 培根 when offering a choice between breakfast meats.Tatoeba #406715 by fucongcong, translation #34033 by CK
- 请问这道菜里面有没有培根？Excuse me, does this dish contain bacon?
- 我喜欢吃熏肉三明治。I like to eat bacon sandwiches.
- 我早餐想吃培根。Wǒ zǎocān xiǎng chī péigēn.I want to eat bacon for breakfast.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are deciding what to cook for breakfast.
- 浩然 Haoran你要吃培根嗎？Nǐ yào chī péigēn ma?Do you want to eat bacon?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想吃，謝謝。Wǒ xiǎng chī, xièxiè.I want to eat it, thanks.
- 浩然 Haoran那我去煎一下。Nà wǒ qù jiān yīxià.Then I will go fry some.
- 佳怡 Jiayi麻煩你了，浩然。Máfan nǐ le, Hàorán.Sorry to trouble you, Haoran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bacon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
