西蘭花 / 西兰花
xīlánhuā
In Chinese, broccoli is 西蘭花 / 西兰花 (xīlánhuā). Wiktionary also lists 西藍花 / 西蓝花 (xīlánhuā) and 青花菜 (qīnghuācài).
Meaning: plant Brassica oleracea var. italica (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 西蘭花 / 西兰花 | xīlánhuā |
| 西藍花 / 西蓝花 | xīlánhuā |
| 青花菜 | qīnghuācài |
| 綠菜花 / 绿菜花 | lǜcàihuā |
| 綠花椰菜 / 绿花椰菜 | lǜhuāyēcài, lǜhuāyécài |
The term refers to the plant Brassica oleracea var. Italica.
Which one should you use?
The term 西蘭花 is a phonetic transliteration, whereas 青花菜 is a descriptive name meaning 'green flower vegetable'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Northern China, broccoli is commonly referred to as 大花菜. In Cantonese-speaking regions like Hong Kong and Guangdong, the transliterated form 西蘭花 / 西藍花 is the most common term. In Taiwan, broccoli is frequently referred to as 綠花椰菜 / 绿花椰菜.
How do you pronounce it?
xīlánhuā
Did you know?
- The term 西蘭花 uses the character 西, which means 'West', highlighting the historical perception of the vegetable as a Western import.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, broccoli is sometimes categorized by its 'temperature' or nature, as many vegetables are viewed as either 'warming' or 'cooling' the body.
- In many Chinese markets, broccoli is grouped with other 'flower' vegetables like cauliflower, which is called 花椰菜 (flower coconut vegetable), because of their similar curd-like heads.
Examples in context
- 我可以多拿些青花菜嗎？Can I have more broccoli?This sentence is useful for asking for more of the vegetable when using the form 青花菜.Tatoeba #12175925 by corina, translation #2829141 by Hybrid
- 我最喜欢吃西兰花炒牛肉了。I love eating broccoli stir-fried with beef.
- 他做的青花菜炒鸡胸肉真好吃。The broccoli stir-fried with chicken breast that he made is delicious.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “broccoli” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
