燕麦片
yànmài piàn
The English word oatmeal is translated into Chinese as 燕麦片 (yànmài piàn).
The term is used to refer to breakfast cereal made from oats.
Meaning: breakfast cereal (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term is composed of 燕麦 (oats) and 片 (flakes/slices).
Which one should you use?
燕麦片 (yànmài piàn) typically refers to the dry cereal flakes, whereas 燕麦粥 (yànmài zhōu) refers to the prepared porridge.
How do you pronounce it?
yànmài piàn
What mistakes should you avoid?
If you are referring specifically to the cooked porridge made from oats, use 燕麦粥 (yànmài zhōu) instead of 燕麦片 (yànmài piàn).
Did you know?
- The character 燕 (yàn) in 燕麦 literally means 'swallow', the type of bird. This means the name for oats can be interpreted as 'swallow barley'.
- In China, 燕麦片 is frequently consumed as a health food snack or mixed into milk drinks rather than being eaten as a traditional hot breakfast.
- Many Chinese consumers view 燕麦片 as a 'functional food' for weight loss or lowering cholesterol, rather than just a tasty breakfast.
Examples in context
- 我想要一碗燕麦片。I would like a bowl of oatmeal.
- 早饭我通常吃燕麦片。I usually have oatmeal for breakfast.
- 老师，我今天早上没时间吃燕麦粥。Teacher, I didn't have time to eat oatmeal congee this morning.
- 和朋友一起吃燕麦粥是非常美好的。Eating oatmeal congee with friends is very enjoyable.
- 我在广东尝过一碗麦片粥，味道很不错。I had a bowl of oatmeal congee in Guangdong, and it tasted great.
- 我早餐喜欢吃燕麦片。Wǒ zǎocān xǐhuān chī yànmàipiàn.I like to eat oatmeal for breakfast.
- 这碗燕麦片很好吃。Zhè wǎn yànmàipiàn hěn hǎochī.This bowl of oatmeal is delicious.
- 请给我一包燕麦片。Qǐng gěi wǒ yī bāo yànmàipiàn.Please give me a bag of oatmeal.
Example conversation
At a breakfast cafe in the morning.
- 志强 Zhiqiang晓雯，你想吃什么？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?Xiaowen, what do you want to eat?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想吃燕麦片。Wǒ xiǎng chī yànmàipiàn.I want to eat oatmeal.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好，我也点一份燕麦片。Hǎo, wǒ yě diǎn yī fèn yànmàipiàn.Okay, I will also order a portion of oatmeal.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，那我们点餐吧。Zhìqiáng, nà wǒmen diǎncān ba.Zhiqiang, let's order then.
