蛋撻 / 蛋挞
dàntà
The English phrase 'egg tart' is translated into Chinese as 蛋撻 / 蛋挞 (dàntà) or 蛋塔.
Meaning: pastry commonly made in Hong Kong (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 蛋撻 / 蛋挞 | dàntà |
| 蛋塔 | dàntǎ |
This term refers to a pastry commonly made in Hong Kong.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 蛋撻 / 蛋挞 is composed of 蛋 (egg) and 撻 (tart/pastry).
Which one should you use?
The form 蛋撻 is the standard way to write and say 'egg tart' in Cantonese-speaking regions like Hong Kong. Another form, 蛋塔, uses the character 塔 (which can also mean 'tower') to transliterate the sound of the English word 'tart', but 蛋撻 / 蛋挞 is more common for the specific pastry.
How do you pronounce it?
dàntà
Did you know?
- The character 撻 used in the Cantonese word for 'egg tart' also means 'to slap' or 'to strike'. This creates a hidden linguistic contrast between a delicate pastry and a violent physical action.
- In Hong Kong, people hold very strong, almost tribal, opinions on whether a 蛋撻 should have a smooth custard crust or a flaky, layered crust.
- The origin of the Hong Kong 蛋撻 is a culinary hybrid, born from British custard tarts being adapted during the colonial era.
Examples in context
- 请给我两个蛋挞Please give me two egg tarts.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “egg tart” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
