薄荷
bòhé/pu̯ɔ⁵¹ xɤ³⁵/
The English word "mint" (referring to the plant) is translated into Chinese as 薄荷 (bòhé).
Meaning: plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 薄荷 | bòhé | /pu̯ɔ⁵¹ xɤ³⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /pu̯ɔ⁵¹ xə¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 薄荷 | po̍k-hô | /pɤ(ʔ)⁴⁻²¹ hɤ²³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) /po(ʔ)⁴⁻¹¹ ho²⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
薄荷 refers to the mint plant. If you want to refer specifically to the flavor or aroma of mint, you can use 薄荷香味 (bòhé xiāngwèi). In colloquial Mandarin, the term 薄荷味儿 (bòhé wèir) directly translates to "mint flavor."
Is it said differently in some regions?
The form 薄荷 is specifically used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is po̍k-hô.
Did you know?
- While 薄荷 refers to the plant, the English word 'mint' also refers to where coins are made, but Chinese uses a completely different word, 造币厂, for that purpose.
- In traditional Chinese medicine discussions, the term for mint often carries connotations of 'clearing heat', a concept that goes beyond the simple English definition of the plant.
- The character 荷 in 薄荷 is the same character used in 荷花, which means 'lotus', though the two plants are unrelated.
Examples in context
- 薄荷口味冰淇淋Mint-flavored ice cream
- 薄荷茶Mint tea
- 薄荷香味洗发水Mint-scented shampoo
- 薄荷清新口气Minty fresh breath
- 请给我一些薄荷叶Please give me some mint leaves.
- 這盆薄荷長得很快。Zhè pén bòhé zhǎng de hěn kuài.This pot of mint grows very quickly.
- 我喜歡薄荷的味道。Wǒ xǐhuān bòhé de wèidào.I like the taste of mint.
Example conversation
At a small plant nursery.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen這盆薄荷很健康嗎？Zhè pén bòhé hěn jiànkāng ma?Is this mint plant healthy?
- 俊杰 Junjie是的，它長得很好。Shì de, tā zhǎng de hěn hǎo.Yes, it is growing very well.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我也想買一盆。Nà wǒ yě xiǎng mǎi yì pén.Then I want to buy one too.
- 俊杰 Junjie沒問題，我幫妳拿。Méi wèntí, wǒ bāng nǐ ná.No problem, I will get it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mint” translations and entries 薄荷, 薄荷, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
