大蒜
dàsuàn
The English word "garlic" is translated into Chinese as 大蒜 (dàsuàn). Wiktionary also lists 蒜頭 / 蒜头 (suàntóu).
Meaning: plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 大蒜 | dàsuàn |
| 蒜頭 / 蒜头 | suàntóu |
While 大蒜 is a standard term, you may also encounter the shorter term 蒜, which is the most commonly used word for garlic in Chinese. Phrases like 请加蒜 (Please add garlic) or 我不吃大蒜 (I don't eat garlic) are common in daily life.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 蒜头 literally means "garlic head".
Which one should you use?
大蒜 is the standard botanical or formal term for the plant. In contrast, 蒜头 is more colloquial and often refers specifically to the physical bulb or head of the garlic.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese, garlic is commonly referred to as 蒜头. In Hokkien, garlic is known as ang2 tiong2.
How does it change in a sentence?
When counting garlic, use the classifier 瓣 (bàn) for individual cloves and the classifier 头 (tóu) for whole heads or bulbs.
How do you pronounce it?
dàsuàn
Did you know?
- While 大蒜 is the general term, the phrase 蒜了 (suàn le) is a common homophonic pun for 算了, which means 'forget it' or 'let it go'.
- In some rural regions, garlic is not just for eating but is hung in bundles near doorways to act as a traditional charm to ward off evil spirits.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, 大蒜 is often viewed as a 'warming' food, meaning it is believed to increase the body's internal heat to fight off 'cold' illnesses like the flu.
Examples in context
- 汤姆捣碎了大蒜。Tom crushed the garlic.This sentence shows the verb for crushing using 大蒜.Tatoeba #7795216 by xinqian94, translation #7446766 by Hybrid
- 他給了我十二瓣大蒜。He gave me 12 cloves of garlic.This sentence demonstrates how to count cloves using 大蒜.Tatoeba #6314496 by xjjAstrus, translation #7767755 by sharris123
- 他在菜裏放了三瓣大蒜。He put three slices of garlic in the vegetables.This sentence shows how to use the word for slices of garlic with 大蒜.Tatoeba #6314508 by xjjAstrus, translation #9401965 by BobbyLee
- 在这道菜中可以加蒜吗？Can we add garlic to this dish?
- 请别放蒜，我对大蒜过敏。Please don't put garlic, I am allergic to it.
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a kitchen while preparing dinner.
- 志强 Zhiqiang我们需要买一些大蒜吗？Wǒmen xūyào mǎi yīxiē dàsuàn ma?Do we need to buy some garlic?
- 梓涵 Zihan不用，家里还有大蒜。Bùyòng, jiālǐ hái yǒu dàsuàn.No need, there is still garlic at home.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我就不买了。Nà wǒ jiù bù mǎi le.Then I won't buy any.
- 梓涵 Zihan好，志强，谢谢你。Hǎo, Zhìqiáng, xièxiè nǐ.Okay, Zhiqiang, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “garlic” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
