花生
huāshēng
The English word "peanut" is translated into Chinese as 花生 (huāshēng). Wiktionary also lists 落花生 (luòhuāshēng) and 長生果 / 长生果 (chángshēngguǒ).
Meaning: a legume resembling a nut (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 花生 | huāshēng | |
| 落花生 | luòhuāshēng | |
| 長生果 / 长生果 | chángshēngguǒ | |
| 土豆 | tǔdòu | Taiwan |
The term refers to the legume that resembles a nut.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 落花生 literally means "falling flower life," which describes the plant's biological process where the flowers fall to the ground to produce the fruit.
Which one should you use?
落花生 is a more formal or botanical term. 长生果 is a colloquial or poetic way to refer to the legume, literally meaning "long life fruit."
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
落花生 is used in formal or botanical contexts, while 长生果 is a colloquial or poetic option.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwan, the term 土豆 is used to mean peanut.
How do you pronounce it?
huāshēng
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to confuse the Taiwan usage of 土豆 for peanut with the Mainland Chinese usage, where 土豆 means potato.
Did you know?
- Because 长生果 suggests immortality, using this term instead of 花生 adds a literary or auspicious tone to the conversation.
- The standard term 花生 is actually a shortened version of the longer botanical name 落花生.
- The poetic name for the peanut, 长生果, translates to 'long life fruit' and reflects ancient beliefs about the nut's health properties.
Examples in context
- 我喜歡吃蜂蜜花生醬三明治。I like to eat honey and peanut butter sandwiches.This sentence shows how to use 花生 in the context of peanut butter sandwiches.Tatoeba #13545621 by LeviHighway, translation #8741048 by Solana
- 花生過敏是最常見的食物過敏。Peanut allergy is the most common of food allergies.This sentence shows how to use 花生 when discussing food allergies.Tatoeba #13545619 by LeviHighway, translation #6608778 by Hybrid
- 露營者們用松果、花生醬和種子自製了餵鳥器，並用釣魚線將它們掛在樹上。The campers made their own bird feeders with pinecones, peanut butter, and seeds. They hung them from trees with fishing line.This sentence shows how to use 花生 in the context of peanut butter used in bird feeders.Tatoeba #13545616 by LeviHighway, translation #867188 by papabear
Example conversation
Jiayi and Wei are snacking together at home.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你想吃一些花生吗？Nǐ xiǎng chī yīxiē huāshēng ma?Do you want to eat some peanuts?
- 伟 Wei好啊，谢谢你，佳怡。Hǎo a, xièxie nǐ, Jiāyí.Sure, thank you, Jiayi.
- 佳怡 Jiayi这些花生是刚烤好的。Zhèxiē huāshēng shì gāng kǎohǎo de.These peanuts are freshly roasted.
- 伟 Wei味道真的非常好。Wèidào zhēnde fēicháng hǎo.The taste is really great.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “peanut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 土豆, 花生, 落花生, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
