香蒜沙司
xiāngsuàn shāsī
The English phrase pesto is translated into Mandarin as 香蒜沙司 (xiāngsuàn shāsī). Wiktionary also lists 香蒜醬 / 香蒜酱 (xiāngsuànjiàng).
Meaning: an Italian sauce especially for pasta (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 香蒜沙司 | xiāngsuàn shāsī |
| 香蒜醬 / 香蒜酱 | xiāngsuànjiàng |
Pesto refers to an Italian sauce, especially one used for pasta. In addition to the standard terms, it can also be referred to as 绿酱.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is xiāngsuàn shāsī.
Did you know?
- The word 香蒜 in the term for pesto literally means 'fragrant garlic', even though traditional pesto is primarily made from basil.
- The term 沙司 is a phonetic loanword from the English 'sauce', showing how Western culinary terms are often imported directly into Mandarin.
- The character 酱 refers to a wide variety of fermented pastes in China, meaning pesto is conceptually grouped with traditional soy-based pastes.
Examples in context
- 请给我一份意面，加一些香蒜酱。Please give me a plate of spaghetti with some pesto.
- 当然，香蒜酱会为您的意面增添美味。Of course, pesto will add deliciousness to your spaghetti.
- 最近我学会自制罗勒酱了，非常好吃。I recently learned how to make basil sauce at home, and it's delicious.
- 噢，罗勒酱是我最喜欢的调料之一呢。Oh, basil sauce is one of my favorite condiments.
Example conversation
Zhiqiang and Xiaowen are deciding what to order at an Italian restaurant.
- 志强 Zhiqiang曉雯，你想點什麼麵？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng diǎn shénme miàn?Xiaowen, what pasta do you want to order?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想試試香蒜沙司麵。Wǒ xiǎng shìshì xiāngsuàn shāsī miàn.I want to try the pesto pasta.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那個聽起來很不錯。Nàge tīng qǐlái hěn bùcuò.That sounds very good.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志強，你也點一份吧。Zhìqiáng, nǐ yě diǎn yī fèn ba.Zhiqiang, you should order one too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pesto” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
