饼干
bǐnggān
The English word biscuit is translated into Chinese as 饼干 (bǐnggān).
饼干 is the general term used to describe small, flat baked goods, such as biscuits or crackers.
Meaning: small, flat baked good (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 饼 (bǐng), meaning a round or flat cake/pancake and 干 (gān), meaning dry.
Which one should you use?
While 饼干 is the general term for biscuits, 曲奇 (qǔqí) is a phonetic loanword specifically used for more Western-style, buttery cookies.
How does it change in a sentence?
The classifier 块 (kuài) is commonly used when referring to a single piece or a chunk of biscuit, forming the phrase 块饼干.
How do you pronounce it?
bǐnggān
Did you know?
- The classifier 块 (kuài) used for a piece of 饼干 is the same character used for a 'piece' of jade or a 'chunk' of money in ancient Chinese currency.
- While 饼干 (bǐnggān) is the standard term, the phonetic loanword 曲奇 (qǔqí) is often used as a marketing term to make a product feel more 'imported' or high-end.
- In Chinese culture, the concept of 饼 (bǐng) is so vast that it includes savory items like scallion pancakes and mooncakes, making 饼干 (bǐnggān) just one small branch of the 'cake' family.
Examples in context
- "妈妈，我能吃一块饼干吗？" "不行，不该在3餐间吃。""Mum, can I have a biscuit?" "No, you shouldn't eat between meals."This sentence demonstrates how to ask for a piece of 饼干 and provides a context for meal times.Tatoeba #334173 by fucongcong, translation #1230714 by alec
- 请给我一些甜饼干。Please give me some sweet biscuits.
- 我喜欢吃咸饼干。I like to eat savory biscuits.
- 你喜欢吃什么口味的饼？What flavor of biscuits do you like?
- 我今天吃了一个红豆饼。I had a red bean biscuit today.
- 这些巧克力饼干很好吃。Zhèxiē qiǎokèlì bǐnggān hěn hǎochī.These chocolate biscuits are delicious.
- 我买了一袋饼干。Wǒ mǎile yī dài bǐnggān.I bought a bag of biscuits.
Example conversation
Two friends are sharing a snack in the afternoon.
- 梓涵 Zihan你想吃饼干吗？Nǐ xiǎng chī bǐnggān ma?Do you want to eat some biscuits?
- 浩然 Haoran好啊，谢谢你。Hǎo a, xièxiè nǐ.Sure, thank you.
- 梓涵 Zihan浩然，这些饼干很脆。Hàorán, zhèxiē bǐnggān hěn cuì.Haoran, these biscuits are very crunchy.
- 浩然 Haoran确实非常美味。Quèshí fēicháng měiwèi.They are indeed very tasty.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
