菜花
càihuā
The English word "cauliflower" is translated into Chinese as 菜花 (càihuā). Wiktionary also lists 花椰菜 (huāyēcài) and 花菜 (huācài).
Meaning: vegetable (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 菜花 | càihuā |
| 花椰菜 | huāyēcài |
| 花菜 | huācài |
What does it mean word for word?
The term 菜花 is composed of 菜 (vegetable) and 花 (flower).
Which one should you use?
菜花 is a common, colloquial way to refer to cauliflower in many parts of China. 花菜 is a common contraction of the term used to describe cauliflower.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, cauliflower is often referred to as 花椰菜.
How do you pronounce it?
càihuā
Did you know?
- The term 花椰菜 used in Taiwan specifically adds the character for 'coconut' 椰, even though the vegetable has no relation to coconuts.
- The word 菜花 is also used to refer to the rapeseed flower, which covers entire fields of China in bright yellow during the spring.
- In Chinese, 花 is used as a classifier for many vegetables with curd-like or branched heads, creating a category of 'flower-like' vegetables.
Examples in context
- 我喜欢吃花菜。I like to eat cauliflower.
- 今晚的菜花很新鲜。The cauliflower tonight is very fresh.
- 妈妈今天做了花椰菜炒肉。Mom cooked cauliflower stir-fry with pork today.
- 我在超市买了一颗白菜花。I bought a head of cauliflower at the supermarket.
- 我想买一些菜花。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yīxiē càihuā.I want to buy some cauliflower.
- 这种菜花很新鲜。Zhè zhǒng càihuā hěn xīnxiān.This cauliflower is very fresh.
- 菜花可以用来做汤。Càihuā kěyǐ yòng lái zuò tāng.Cauliflower can be used to make soup.
Example conversation
A couple is shopping for groceries at a local market.
- 浩然 Haoran佳怡，我们要买菜花吗？Jiāyí, wǒmen yào mǎi càihuā ma?Jiayi, do we need to buy cauliflower?
- 佳怡 Jiayi可以，帮我挑一些大的。Kěyǐ, bāng wǒ tiāo yīxiē dà de.Yes, help me pick some large ones.
- 浩然 Haoran这些菜花看起来不错。Zhèxiē càihuā kàn qǐlái bùcuò.This cauliflower looks good.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那就买这两朵吧。Nà jiù mǎi zhè liǎng duǒ ba.Then let's just buy these two heads.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cauliflower” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
