月饼
yuèbǐng
The English phrase mooncake is translated into Chinese as 月饼 (yuèbǐng).
A 月饼 is a traditional Chinese pastry that is typically eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Meaning: Chinese pastry usually eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 月 (yuè), meaning 'moon' and 饼 (bǐng), meaning 'cake' or 'pastry'.
How do you pronounce it?
yuèbǐng
When do people say it?
Mooncakes are the traditional food eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival to celebrate the harvest and family reunions.
Did you know?
- According to legend, 月饼 were used as a secret communication tool during the Yuan Dynasty to coordinate a rebellion. Messages were hidden inside the cakes to tell the rebels to rise up on the same night.
- In some regions, 月饼 are not just eaten but given as high-stakes corporate gifts to build 'guanxi' or social networks. The luxury packaging is often more expensive than the pastry itself.
- While English speakers use 'cake' for soft, airy desserts, the 饼 in 月饼 actually refers to the category of flatbreads. In a linguistic sense, a 'mooncake' is actually a type of round, dense flatbread rather than a sponge cake.
Examples in context
- 月饼是中国点心的一种。The mooncake is a kind of Chinese snack.This sentence is useful for identifying 月饼 as a type of Chinese snack.Tatoeba #2656482 by shanghainese, translation #2656830 by FeuDRenais2
- 我喜欢豆沙味的月饼。I like mooncakes with red bean paste filling.
- 我想买几个月饼。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi jǐ gè yuèbǐng.I want to buy a few mooncakes.
- 这个月饼的味道很甜。Zhège yuèbǐng de wèidào hěn tián.This mooncake tastes very sweet.
Example conversation
A couple is choosing snacks at a supermarket.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，你看这些月饼怎么样？Jùnjié, nǐ kàn zhèxiē yuèbǐng zěnmeyàng?Junjie, what do you think of these mooncakes?
- 俊杰 Junjie我觉得那个红色的很好看。Wǒ juéde nàge hóngsè de hěn hǎokàn.I think that red one looks good.
- 雨婷 Yuting那我们买这个月饼吧。Nà wǒmen mǎi zhège yuèbǐng ba.Then let's buy this mooncake.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，雨婷。Hǎo de, Yǔtíng.Okay, Yuting.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
