木薯
mùshǔ
The Mandarin word for cassava is 木薯 (mùshǔ).
木薯 is a noun used to refer to the cassava root vegetable.
Meaning: root vegetable (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 木 (mù), meaning 'wood' or 'tree' and 薯 (shǔ), meaning 'tuber' or 'root vegetable'.
How do you pronounce it?
mùshǔ
Did you know?
- In Chinese bubble tea shops, the 'pearls' are often made from 木薯淀粉 ('cassava starch'), which gives the boba its signature chewy texture.
- If you see the character 薯 on a menu in China, you can immediately assume the dish features a root vegetable, even if you do not know the specific type.
- The character 木 is a pictograph that originally looked like a tree, which is why it is used here to describe the woody stem of the cassava plant.
Examples in context
- 这种木薯很好吃。zhè zhǒng mùshǔ hěn hǎo chī.This kind of cassava is very delicious.
- 我在超市买了木薯。wǒ zài chāoshì mǎi le mùshǔ.I bought some cassava at the supermarket.
- 木薯含有淀粉。mùshǔ hán yǒu diànfěn.Cassava contains starch.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing ingredients at a market.
- 俊杰 Junjie你想买木薯吗？nǐ xiǎng mǎi mùshǔ ma?Do you want to buy cassava?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen是的，我想买一些。shì de, wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì xiē.Yes, I want to buy some.
- 俊杰 Junjie这里的木薯很新鲜。zhèlǐ de mùshǔ hěn xīnxiān.The cassava here is very fresh.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那太好了，我们买吧。nà tài hǎo le, wǒmen mǎi ba.That's great, let's buy it.
