水母
shuǐmǔ
The English word jellyfish is translated into Chinese as 水母 (shuǐmǔ). Wiktionary also lists 海蜇 (hǎizhé).
Meaning: aquatic animal (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 水母 | shuǐmǔ |
| 海蜇 | hǎizhé |
The word refers to the aquatic animal known as a jellyfish. When counting jellyfish, use the classifier 一只 (yī zhī) instead of a generic counter.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 水母 (shuǐmǔ) is composed of 水 (water) and 母 (mother).
Which one should you use?
水母 is the general biological term for jellyfish. In contrast, 海蜇 (hǎizhé) is frequently used in a culinary context to refer to jellyfish that are prepared for eating.
How do you pronounce it?
shuǐmǔ
Did you know?
- Unlike the English word 'jellyfish', which suggests a soft or slimy texture, the Chinese culinary term 海蜇 is associated with a 'crunchy' or 'crisp' texture in many dishes.
- The word 海蜇 (hǎizhé) uses the character 蜇 (zhé), which carries the meaning of 'to sting'.
- The classifier 只 (zhī) used for 一只 (yī zhī) jellyfish is the same one used for many other small or single animals, such as birds or cats, rather than a specialized aquatic counter.
Examples in context
- 渔民用他的网捕到了一只紫色的水母。The fisherman caught a purple jellyfish in his net.This sentence shows how to use the counter 一只 with 水母.Tatoeba #8744858 by slo_oth, translation #8742990 by Solana
- 美國自然歷史博物館的「光之生物」展覽展出了發綠色光的水母、額頭上提著燈籠的琵琶魚，以及在洞穴頂棚上懸掛粘液狀細絲，用來誘捕獵物的螢火蟲。The American Museum of Natural History’s “Creatures of Light” exhibit features jellyfish that glow green, anglerfish whose lantern-like bulbs dangle from their foreheads and luminous glowworms that hang mucus-like strands from cave ceilings to attract and ensnare their prey.This sentence uses 水母 in a description of a museum exhibit.Tatoeba #13539400 by LeviHighway, translation #11200179 by Cangarejo
- 在这个海岛附近，你可以看到很多海蜇。Around this island, you can see many jellyfish.
- 我在水族馆看到一只非常漂亮的水母！I saw a very beautiful jellyfish in the aquarium!
- 海水里漂浮着很多透明的水母。Hǎishuǐ lǐ piāofú zhe hěnduō tòumíng de shuǐmǔ.Many transparent jellyfish are floating in the seawater.
Example conversation
Two friends are swimming at the beach.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，快看！水里有一只水母。Jùnjié, kuài kàn! Shuǐ lǐ yǒu yī zhī shuǐmǔ.Junjie, look! There is a jellyfish in the water.
- 俊杰 Junjie它看起来很漂亮，但千万不要碰它。Tā kàn qǐlái hěn piàoliang, dàn qiānwàn bùyào pèng tā.It looks beautiful, but whatever you do, don't touch it.
- 雨婷 Yuting为什么？它会蜇人吗？Wèishéme? Tā huì zhè rén ma?Why? Does it sting?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，水母的触手是有毒的。Shì de, shuǐmǔ de chùshǒu shì yǒudú de.Yes, the tentacles of a jellyfish are poisonous.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “jellyfish” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
