烤奶酪三明治
kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì
The English phrase "grilled cheese" is translated into Chinese as 烤奶酪三明治 (kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì).
This phrase refers to a sandwich consisting of melted cheese between slices of buttered bread that have been toasted.
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of the character 烤, which means grilled, roasted or baked, followed by the words for cheese and sandwich.
How do you pronounce it?
kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì
Did you know?
- The word 三明治 is a phonetic loanword that mimics the English sound of 'sandwich'. It is one of the most famous examples of how English food names were imported into the Chinese language.
- Cheese is not a traditional staple in China, so 奶酪 originally referred specifically to dairy products from the nomadic cultures of Inner Mongolia and Tibet rather than Western-style cheese.
- While 'grilled cheese' is a staple in Western breakfasts, in China, a sandwich like 烤奶酪三明治 is more frequently viewed as a western-style snack or a brunch item.
Examples in context
- 我想要一个烤奶酪三明治。Wǒ xiǎng yào yī gè kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì.I want a grilled cheese.
- 这个烤奶酪三明治很好吃。Zhège kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì hěn hǎochī.This grilled cheese is delicious.
- 你喜欢吃烤奶酪三明治吗？Nǐ xǐhuān chī kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì ma?Do you like eating grilled cheese?
Example conversation
A boy and a girl are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 俊杰 Junjie雨婷，我们要不要吃烤奶酪三明治？Yǔtíng, wǒmen yào bù yào chī kǎo nǎilào sānmíngzhì?Yuting, do you want to eat grilled cheese?
- 雨婷 Yuting好啊，我真的很饿了。Hǎo a, wǒ zhēn de hěn è le.Sure, I am really hungry.
- 俊杰 Junjie那我们去那家餐厅吧。Nà wǒmen qù nà jiā cāntīng ba.Then let's go to that restaurant.
- 雨婷 Yuting没问题，俊杰。Méi wèntí, Jùnjié.No problem, Junjie.
