德國結 / 德国结
Déguójié
The English word "pretzel" is translated into Chinese as 德國結 / 德国结 (Déguójié). If unsure, use 德國結 / 德国结. Wiktionary also lists 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 and 鹽味卷餅 / 盐味卷饼.
Meaning: toasted bread or cracker in the shape of a knot (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 德國結 / 德国结 | Déguójié |
| 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 | |
| 鹽味卷餅 / 盐味卷饼 |
In Chinese, there are several ways to refer to a pretzel depending on whether you want to describe its shape, its flavor or its form. You may use 德國結 / 德国结 to describe the knot-like shape and its German origin, or terms like 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 and 鹽味卷餅 / 盐味卷饼 which focus on the salty, rolled nature of the snack.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 literally means "salt and pepper roll".
Which one should you use?
德國結 / 德国结 is a descriptive term that focuses on the origin and the knot shape (literally "Germany knot"), whereas 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 focuses on the flavor profile of the snack.
How do you pronounce it?
Déguójié
Did you know?
- If you ask for a 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 in certain parts of China, you might actually be served a Chinese savory pancake rather than a German knot.
- The term 結 / 结 meaning 'knot' is also used in Chinese to describe a person's ties or connections to others, creating a linguistic overlap between food and social relationships.
- While 椒鹽捲餅 / 椒盐卷饼 describes a pretzel, the characters 椒鹽 (salt and pepper) refer to a specific Chinese seasoning technique used for fried meats and seafood.
Examples in context
- 请给我一些椒盐脆饼 (qǐng gěi wǒ yīxiē jiāoyáncuìbǐng)Please give me some pretzels.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “pretzel” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
