铜锣烧
tóngluóshāo
The English phrase dorayaki is translated into Chinese as 铜锣烧 (tóngluóshāo).
铜锣烧 refers to a Japanese confection. An informal alternative you may encounter is 哆啦饼.
Meaning: Japanese confection (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The name 铜锣烧 is a literal translation of the Japanese name. The component 铜锣 (tóngluó) means 'gong' and 烧 (shāo) means 'baked' or 'roasted'.
How do you pronounce it?
tóngluóshāo
Did you know?
- While 铜锣烧 describes the food, the word 烧 is also used in the name of the famous dish 红烧肉, though the latter is braised in liquid rather than baked.
- The informal term 哆啦饼 is a playful pun. It replaces the first part of the name with 哆啦 (duō lā), the first two syllables of the name of the character Doraemon in Chinese.
- In Chinese, the character 锣 refers specifically to a gong that is struck with a mallet, unlike the 钟 which is a bell. This reinforces the visual comparison of the pancake to a percussion instrument.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaowen are at a Japanese bakery.
- 志强 Zhiqiang晓雯，你想尝试这个铜锣烧吗？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng chángshì zhège tóngluóshāo ma?Xiaowen, do you want to try this dorayaki?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好啊，看起来很好吃。Hǎo a, kàn qǐlái hěn hǎochī.Sure, it looks delicious.
- 志强 Zhiqiang它是日本的一种点心。Tā shì Rìběn de yìzhǒng diǎnxīn.It is a type of Japanese confection.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢你，志强。Xièxie nǐ, Zhìqiáng.Thank you, Zhiqiang.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 铜锣烧, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
