炸雞塊 / 炸鸡块
zhájīkuài
The English phrase "chicken nugget" is translated into Chinese as 炸雞塊 / 炸鸡块 (zhájīkuài). Wiktionary also lists 雞塊 / 鸡块 (jīkuài).
Meaning: piece of chicken in batter (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 炸雞塊 / 炸鸡块 | zhájīkuài |
| 雞塊 / 鸡块 | jīkuài |
The term refers to a piece of chicken in batter.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 炸雞塊 / 炸鸡块 is composed of 炸 (fried), 雞 (chicken) and 塊 (piece or nugget). The shorter form 雞塊 / 鸡块 consists of the characters 雞 meaning chicken and 塊 meaning nugget or chunk.
Which one should you use?
While 炸雞塊 / 炸鸡块 literally means "fried chicken nugget", the shorter form 雞塊 / 鸡块 is more commonly used in menus and daily conversation to refer to the same item.
How do you pronounce it?
zhájīkuài
Did you know?
- While English distinguishes between 'nuggets' and 'tenders', Chinese often uses 雞塊 / 鸡块 for nuggets and 雞柳 / 鸡柳 for tenders. The word 柳 (liǔ) means 'willow', referring to the long and slender shape of the meat.
- While 雞塊 / 鸡块 means 'chicken nugget', the word 塊 / 块 is also the basic unit of currency in China, the 'kuai'. This makes the word for 'piece' an essential term for shopping and trading.
- In some Chinese contexts, 雞塊 / 鸡块 might be grouped under the broader category of 小吃 (xiǎochī), which literally means 'small eats'. This describes a whole culture of street snacks rather than just a side dish.
Examples in context
- 我想点一份鸡块。I would like to order some chicken nuggets.
- 你喜欢吃鸡块儿吗？Do you like eating chicken nuggets?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “chicken nugget” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
