蘑菇
mógū/mu̯ɔ³⁵ g̊u³/
The English word 'mushroom' is translated into Chinese as 蘑菇 (mógū). Wiktionary also lists 蕈 (xùn) and 菌子 (jùnzi).
Meaning: fruiting body of a fungus (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蘑菇 | mógū | /mu̯ɔ³⁵ g̊u³/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Mainland China, standard, Taiwan, Sinological IPA) /mu̯ɔ³⁵ ku⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, variant, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 蕈 | xùn | /ɕyn⁵¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡sʰɐm¹³/ (Cantonese, Guangzhou, Sinological IPA, Standard Cantonese, Hong Kong) |
|
| 菌子 | jùnzi | /t͡ɕyn⁵¹ d͡z̥ɹ̩¹/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /t͡ɕyn²¹³ t͡sɹ̩⁵³/ (Mandarin, Chengdu, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 蘑菇 | mô͘-ko͘ | /mɔ̃²⁴⁻²² kɔ⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Xiamen) /mɔ̃²⁴⁻²² kɔ³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Sinological IPA, Quanzhou) |
Hokkien |
蘑菇 is the most common and standard way to say 'mushroom' in everyday Mandarin Chinese.
Which one should you use?
While 蘑菇 is the general term for any mushroom, 菌子 is often used in many parts of China to refer specifically to edible wild mushrooms. Furthermore, 蕈 is a more formal, scientific or literary way to refer to fungi or mushrooms compared to the common 蘑菇.
Is it said differently in some regions?
могў is used in Dungan, and 蘑菇 is used in Hokkien.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is mô͘-ko͘. In IPA, it is /mu̯ɔ³⁵ g̊u³/.
Did you know?
- One theory suggests that the word 蘑菇 is actually a phonetic corruption of the phrase 無辜, which means 'innocent' or 'guiltless'.
- The Dungan language, spoken by the Hui people in Central Asia, uses the form могў for 'mushroom'.
- Chinese culture classifies certain fungi, such as the Reishi mushroom, as herbal medicine rather than food, shifting the context of the words used to describe them.
Examples in context
- 我做了蘑菇汤。I made mushroom soup.This sentence demonstrates how to use 蘑菇 when talking about food like mushroom soup.Tatoeba #13839306 by JackyJiaqiSun, translation #12581633 by Danika_Dakika
- 我特別喜歡蘑菇的味道。I especially like the flavour of the mushroom.This sentence shows the use of 蘑菇 when discussing the flavor of the mushroom.Tatoeba #6940063 by xjjAstrus, translation #7808590 by sharris123
- 我喜欢吃蘑菇。I like to eat mushrooms.
- 这家餐厅提供各种菇类菜肴。This restaurant offers a variety of mushroom dishes.
- 我妈妈炖了一锅香菇汤。My mom made a pot of mushroom soup.
- 干菇炖鸡是广东的特色菜之一。Braised chicken with dried mushrooms is one of Guangdong's signature dishes.
- 這盤菜裡有很多蘑菇。Zhè pán cài lǐ yǒu hěnduō mógū.There are many mushrooms in this dish.
Example conversation
A couple is shopping for ingredients at a local market.
- 佳怡 Jiayi俊杰，你要買蘑菇嗎？Jùnjié, nǐ yào mǎi mógū ma?Junjie, do you want to buy mushrooms?
- 俊杰 Junjie我想買一些新鮮的蘑菇。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yīxiē xīnxiān de mógū.I want to buy some fresh mushrooms.
- 佳怡 Jiayi這裡的蘑菇看起來很不錯。Zhèlǐ de mógū kàn qǐlái hěn bùcuò.The mushrooms here look quite good.
- 俊杰 Junjie那我們買一點回去煮吧。Nà wǒmen mǎi yīdiǎn huíqù zhǔ ba.Then let's buy a little to go home and cook.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mushroom” translations and entries 蘑菇, 蕈, 菌子, 蘑菇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 蘑菇, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
