番石榴
fānshíliú
The English word guava is translated into Chinese as 番石榴 (fānshíliú). Wiktionary also lists 芭樂 / 芭乐 (bālè) and 巴拉 (bālā).
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 番石榴 | fānshíliú | |
| 芭樂 / 芭乐 | bālè | |
| 巴拉 | bālā | |
| 芭拉 | bālā | |
| 雞矢果 / 鸡矢果 | jīshǐguǒ | Mainland China |
The word refers to the tropical fruit known as guava.
Which one should you use?
番石榴 is the standard, formal name found in most dictionaries and used in formal contexts across the Chinese-speaking world. 芭樂 or 芭乐 is a common alternative. 巴拉 and 芭拉 are also used to refer to the fruit.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, 芭樂 is the most common way to say guava, while 土芭樂 is used in Taiwanese. In Mainland China, the term 雞矢果 or 鸡矢果 is used. In Cantonese, the term for guava is 桂花梨.
How do you pronounce it?
fānshíliú
Did you know?
- There is a theory that the name 芭樂 is a phonetic imitation of the English word 'ballad', through a process called phono-semantic matching.
- Because guavas are often sold as street snacks in Taiwan, they are frequently paired with a dip of plum powder and salt.
- The name 番石榴 can be broken down to suggest a 'foreign stone pomegranate', reflecting its appearance to early Chinese observers.
Examples in context
- 我们去买些番石榴吧！Let's go buy some guavas!
- 奶奶的花园里种了很多番石榴。Grandma planted a lot of guava trees in her garden.
- 這種番石榴很甜。Zhè zhǒng fānshíliú hěn tián.This kind of guava is very sweet.
- 我想買一顆番石榴。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī kē fānshíliú.I want to buy a guava.
- 番石榴含有維生素C。Fānshíliú hányǒu wéishēngsù C.Guava contains vitamin C.
Example conversation
Xiaowen and Zhiqiang are at a fruit market.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，你看这个番石榴新鲜吗？Zhìqiáng, nǐ kàn zhège fānshíliú xīnxiān ma?Zhiqiang, do you think this guava is fresh?
- 志强 Zhiqiang看起来很新鲜，买几个吧。Kàn qǐlái hěn xīnxiān, mǎi jǐ gè ba.It looks very fresh, let's buy a few.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好的，我拿三个番石榴。Hǎo de, wǒ ná sān gè fānshíliú.Okay, I will take three guavas.
- 志强 Zhiqiang记得检查一下有没有坏的。Jìde jiǎnchá yīxià yǒu méiyǒu huài de.Remember to check if any are rotten.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “guava” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 芭樂, CC BY-SA 4.0.
