古斯米
gǔsīmǐ
In Mandarin, the English word "couscous" can be expressed as 古斯米 (gǔsīmǐ). Wiktionary also lists 蒸粗麥粉 / 蒸粗麦粉 (zhēngcūmàifěn) and 中東米 / 中东米 (zhōngdōngmǐ).
Meaning: pasta of North African origin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 古斯米 | gǔsīmǐ |
| 蒸粗麥粉 / 蒸粗麦粉 | zhēngcūmàifěn |
| 中東米 / 中东米 | zhōngdōngmǐ |
The term refers to the North African pasta.
Which one should you use?
古斯米 is a phonetic transliteration of the word "couscous". In contrast, 蒸粗麥粉 is a descriptive name for the dish. There is also the term 中東米.
How do you pronounce it?
gǔsīmǐ
Did you know?
- The word 米 in 古斯米 means 'rice' but is used here as a generic suffix for any small, seed-like food particle.
- The character 古 in 古斯米 usually means 'ancient' but carries no such meaning when used in this phonetic loanword.
- The term 中東米 literally translates to 'Middle Eastern rice' although couscous is a pasta made from semolina and not a grain of rice.
Examples in context
- 我很喜欢吃库斯库斯。I really enjoy eating couscous.
- 我喜欢吃古斯米。Wǒ xǐhuān chī gǔsīmǐ.I like to eat couscous.
- 这碗古斯米非常好吃。Zhè wǎn gǔsīmǐ fēicháng hǎochī.This bowl of couscous is delicious.
- 你想尝试一下古斯米吗？Nǐ xiǎng chángshì yīxià gǔsīmǐ ma?Do you want to try some couscous?
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to cook for dinner.
- 浩然 Haoran欣怡，我们今晚吃古斯米吧。Xīnyí, wǒmen jīnwǎn chī gǔsīmǐ ba.Xinyi, let's have couscous tonight.
- 欣怡 Xinyi浩然，你有古斯米吗？Hàorán, nǐ yǒu gǔsīmǐ ma?Haoran, do you have any couscous?
- 浩然 Haoran我家里还有一些。Wǒ jiālǐ hái yǒu yīxiē.I still have some at home.
- 欣怡 Xinyi太好了，我想吃这个。Tài hǎole, wǒ xiǎng chī zhège.Great, I want to eat that.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “couscous” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
