果凍 / 果冻
guǒdòng
In Chinese, jelly is 果凍 / 果冻 (guǒdòng). Wiktionary also lists 果子凍 / 果子冻 (guǒzidòng).
Meaning: dessert made by boiling gelatin (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 果凍 / 果冻 | guǒdòng |
| 果子凍 / 果子冻 | guǒzidòng |
The term is used to describe a dessert made by boiling gelatin. While 果凍 / 果冻 specifically refers to the gelatinous dessert, it should not be confused with 果汁 (guǒzhī), which means fruit juice. In informal contexts, the term 软糖 (ruǎntáng) is sometimes used to describe softer and chewier types of jelly, though it usually refers to gummy candies.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 果凍 is composed of 果 (fruit) and 凍 (jelly, gelatin or frozen).
Which one should you use?
The two forms provided, 果凍 / 果冻 and 果子凍 / 果子冻, are both ways to express jelly. The traditional form 果凍 is used in Taiwan and Hong Kong, while the simplified form 果冻 is used in Mainland China.
How do you pronounce it?
guǒdòng
Did you know?
- In Chinese culture, the texture of 果凍 is often described using the word Q, a loanword from English used to describe a bouncy or springy mouthfeel.
- Traditional Chinese desserts often use agar-agar from seaweed to create a jelly texture, which is firmer and heat-resistant compared to the gelatin used in Western 果凍.
- In some regions, 果凍 is not just a treat but is used in 'grass jelly' (仙草凍), which is made from a plant rather than gelatin and is often served as a health drink.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jelly” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
