芫荽粉
yánsuī fěn
Coriander powder in Chinese is 芫荽粉 (yánsuī fěn).
The phrase refers to dried coriander seeds that have been ground into a fine powder for use as a spice.
What does it mean word for word?
The word consists of 芫荽 (yánsuī), the name for coriander and 粉 (fěn), meaning powder or flour.
Which one should you use?
芫荽粉 (yánsuī fěn) is more formal or botanical, whereas 香菜粉 (xiāngcài fěn) is the more common term used in daily cooking and markets.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern China, such as in Guangdong and Hong Kong, people often use the term 芫荽粉 to refer to coriander powder.
How do you pronounce it?
yánsuī fěn
Did you know?
- In many Chinese-speaking regions, the name for coriander, 香菜, is sometimes jokingly referred to as 'soap' because of the genetic trait that makes it taste like soap to some people.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, coriander is considered a 'warm' herb. Because of this, it is often used in specific seasonal dishes to balance the body's internal temperature.
- While 芫荽 (yánsuī) is the botanical name, it is rarely used in spoken Mandarin outside of formal contexts or professional culinary settings, making it sound almost like a Latin name to a native speaker.
Examples in context
- 我需要些香菜粉来烹饪晚餐。I need some coriander powder to cook dinner.
- 请给我一勺芫荽粉。Qǐng gěi wǒ yì sháo yánsuī fěn.Please give me a spoonful of coriander powder.
- 这种咖喱里加了芫荽粉。Zhè zhǒng gālí lǐ jiā le yánsuī fěn.This curry has coriander powder added to it.
- 超市里有卖芫荽粉吗？Chāoshì lǐ yǒu mài yánsuī fěn ma?Does the supermarket sell coriander powder?
Example conversation
Junjie and Yuting are shopping for spices in a grocery store.
- 俊杰 Junjie雨婷，你看我们要买哪种芫荽粉？Yǔtíng, nǐ kàn wǒmen yào mǎi nǎ zhǒng yánsuī fěn?Yuting, look, which kind of coriander powder should we buy?
- 雨婷 Yuting我觉得这个牌子的味道不错。Wǒ juéde zhè ge páizi de wèidào bùcuò.I think this brand's flavor is quite good.
- 俊杰 Junjie那我们就拿这一瓶吧。Nà wǒmen jiù ná zhè yì píng ba.Then let's just take this bottle.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，我去结账。Hǎo de, wǒ qù jiézhàng.Okay, I will go to the checkout.
