木瓜
mùguā
In Chinese, the word for papaya is 木瓜 (mùguā). If unsure, use 木瓜. Wiktionary also lists 番木瓜 (fānmùguā).
Meaning: fruit (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 木瓜 | mùguā |
| 番木瓜 | fānmùguā |
The term refers to the papaya fruit. In daily conversation, you will most frequently use the common name 木瓜.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 木瓜 literally means 'wood melon'.
Which one should you use?
木瓜 is the common name used in everyday speech, whereas 番木瓜 is a more precise botanical name for the fruit.
How do you pronounce it?
mùguā
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the term 木瓜 is used for both the tropical papaya and the quince, which are entirely different fruits. To avoid confusion, speakers often specify the variety or use the term 番木瓜 for the papaya.
- Because papayas are believed to promote lactation in Traditional Chinese Medicine, 木瓜 is a common ingredient in postpartum soups for new mothers.
- The prefix 番 in 番木瓜 is often used in Chinese to denote something 'foreign' or 'imported', appearing in many names of fruits that originated outside of China.
Examples in context
- 我很喜欢吃木瓜。I really enjoy eating papaya.
- 我们今天买了番木瓜。We bought papaya today.
- 你喜欢吃木瓜子吗？Do you like to eat papaya seeds?
- 这个木瓜很甜。zhège mùguā hěn tián.This papaya is very sweet.
- 我想买一个木瓜。wǒ xiǎng mǎi yīgè mùguā.I want to buy a papaya.
- 木瓜对身体很好。mùguā duì shēntǐ hěn hǎo.Papaya is very good for your health.
Example conversation
At a fruit market, Xiaowen is choosing fruit.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这个木瓜熟了吗？zhège mùguā shú le ma?Is this papaya ripe?
- 浩然 Haoran熟了，可以吃了。shú le, kěyǐ chī le.It is ripe, you can eat it.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那我买一个吧。nà wǒ mǎi yīgè ba.Then I will buy one.
- 浩然 Haoran好的，给你。hǎo de, gěi nǐ.Okay, here you go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “papaya” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
