春卷
chūnjuǎn
In Chinese, egg rolls are called 春卷 (chūnjuǎn).
春卷 refers to fried rolls filled with vegetables and sometimes meat that are wrapped in a thin pastry skin.
Which one should you use?
While English speakers often use 'egg roll' to refer to a specific thicker, bubbly-skinned fried appetizer, in Chinese, 春卷 refers to the general category of thin-skinned spring rolls.
How do you pronounce it?
chūnjuǎn
Did you know?
- Eating 春卷 during the Lunar New Year is symbolic, as the golden-brown color of the fried rolls represents bars of gold and wealth.
- The word 卷 means 'roll' or 'scroll', the same character used for an ancient book or a legal document.
- In some regions of China, 春卷 are traditionally served fresh and steamed rather than deep-fried.
Examples in context
- 我想点个蛋卷。(wǒ xiǎng diǎn gè dàn juǎn)I would like to order an egg roll.
- 爸爸会做蛋卷子给我们吃。(bà ba huì zuò dàn juǎn zi gěi wǒ men chī)Dad can make egg rolls for us to eat.
- 我想吃春卷。Wǒ xiǎng chī chūnjuǎn.I want to eat egg rolls.
- 这些春卷很脆。Zhèxiē chūnjuǎn hěn cuì.These egg rolls are very crispy.
- 桌子上有一盘春卷。Zhuōzi shàng yǒu yī pán chūnjuǎn.There is a plate of egg rolls on the table.
Example conversation
A couple is ordering food at a Chinese restaurant.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen伟，我们点一份春卷吧。Wěi, wǒmen diǎn yī fèn chūnjuǎn ba.Wei, let's order an order of egg rolls.
- 伟 Wei好，我也很喜欢吃春卷。Hǎo, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān chī chūnjuǎn.Okay, I also like eating egg rolls very much.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我们要不要再点个炒饭？Nà wǒmen yào bù yào zài diǎn gè chǎofàn?Then should we order a fried rice too?
- 伟 Wei可以，听你的。Kěyǐ, tīng nǐ de.Sure, it's up to you.
