沙拉
shālā
In Chinese, the word for salad is 沙拉 (shālā). Wiktionary also lists 色拉 (sèlā) and 沙律 (shālǜ).
Meaning: food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 沙拉 | shālā | |
| 色拉 | sèlā | |
| 沙律 | shālǜ | Malaysia, uncommon |
Which one should you use?
沙拉 is the most universally recognized form. 色拉 is a variant sometimes found in northern China or used in specific transliteration styles. 沙律 is an uncommon form.
Is it said differently in some regions?
沙律 is used in Hong Kong and certain southern regions of China.
How do you pronounce it?
shālā
Did you know?
- There is a linguistic debate regarding the origin of the character variant 色拉, with some sources suggesting it may have roots in Tibetan rather than English.
- The character 沙 in 沙拉 usually means 'sand', which is quite a strange component for a word describing a fresh dish of vegetables.
- Traditional Chinese 'cold dishes' called 凉拌 function like salads but are conceptually distinct from the loanword 沙拉.
Examples in context
- 馬不吃黃瓜沙拉。A horse doesn't eat cucumber salad.This sentence shows the use of 沙拉 with a cucumber.Tatoeba #6937181 by xjjAstrus, translation #3970804 by coynejeremy
- 这份沙拉不够酸。This salad is not sour enough.This sentence describes the taste of a 沙拉.Tatoeba #13944531 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #3931724 by maaster
- 湯姆正在廚房做沙拉。Tom is in the kitchen making a salad.This sentence shows someone preparing a 沙拉 in a kitchen.Tatoeba #13556630 by LeviHighway, translation #6251500 by CK
- 我想点一份绿色沙拉。I'd like to order a green salad.
- 我最喜欢吃水果色拉。I love eating fruit salad the most.
- 请给我一份海鲜沙律，谢谢。Please give me a serving of seafood salad, thank you.
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A casual lunch at a cafe.
- 俊杰 Junjie你想吃沙拉嗎？Nǐ xiǎng chī shā lā ma?Do you want to eat a salad?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想吃水果沙拉。Wǒ xiǎng chī shuǐ guǒ shā lā.I want to eat a fruit salad.
- 俊杰 Junjie這裡的沙拉很新鮮。Zhè lǐ de shā lā hěn xīn xiān.The salad here is very fresh.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我們點一份吧。Nà wǒ men diǎn yī fèn ba.Then let's order one.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “salad” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 沙拉, 色拉, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
