萊檬 / 莱檬
láiméng
The English word lime is translated into Chinese using several different terms. If unsure, use 萊檬 / 莱檬 (láiméng). Wiktionary also lists 萊姆 / 莱姆 (láimǔ) and 酸橙 (suānchéng).
Meaning: green citrus fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 萊檬 / 莱檬 | láiméng |
| 萊姆 / 莱姆 | láimǔ |
| 酸橙 | suānchéng |
| 青檸 / 青柠 | qīngníng |
In Chinese, there are several ways to refer to the green citrus fruit known as a lime, depending on whether you are using a phonetic transliteration or a descriptive name.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 酸橙 (suānchéng) is a literal description meaning 'sour orange'.
Which one should you use?
The term 青檸 / 青柠 (qīngníng) is the most common descriptive way to refer to a lime in many Chinese-speaking regions, literally meaning 'green lime/citrus'. 萊姆 / 莱姆 (láimǔ) is a common phonetic transliteration used specifically for the fruit in botanical or culinary contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
láiméng
Did you know?
- The term 青檸 uses the character 青 (qīng), which can mean green, blue or even black depending on the context, but here it specifically denotes the unripe color of the fruit.
- The term 萊姆 (láimǔ) is so closely tied to the English word that it can be used to distinguish imported limes from locally grown, sour citrus varieties.
- In some Southern Chinese dialects, the word for lime is closely linked to the word for 'lemon', making it difficult to distinguish the two fruits without specifying the color 'green'.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “lime” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
