沙拉
shālā
The English word 'salad' is translated into Mandarin as 沙拉 (shālā). Wiktionary also lists 色拉 (sèlā) and 沙律 (shālǜ).
Meaning: food (noun)
Ways to say it
| Mandarin | Romanization (Wiktionary) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 沙拉 | shālā | |
| 色拉 | sèlā | |
| 沙律 | shālǜ | Malaysia, uncommon |
The word refers to the food known as salad. You can use it to specify different types by adding a descriptive noun before it, such as 水果沙拉 (fruit salad), 鸡肉沙拉 (chicken salad) or 蔬菜沙拉 (vegetable salad).
What does it mean word for word?
The word 沙拉 is a phonetic transliteration of the English word 'salad'.
Which one should you use?
While 沙拉 is the most common way to write 'salad', 色拉 is an alternative phonetic transliteration often seen in mainland China.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term 沙律 is used specifically in Malaysian Mandarin to refer to salad.
How do you pronounce it?
shālā
Did you know?
- Traditional Chinese cuisine rarely had a word for 'salad' because cold appetizers 凉菜 serve a similar purpose but are prepared and seasoned differently.
- The word 色拉 has a fascinating dual history, appearing as both an English transliteration via Shanghainese and a borrowed term from Tibetan.
- Because 沙拉 is a loanword, it is often used in menus to signal a 'modern' or 'international' dining experience rather than a traditional one.
Examples in context
- 馬不吃黃瓜沙拉。A horse doesn't eat cucumber salad.This sentence uses 沙拉 to show what a horse does not eat.Tatoeba #6937181 by xjjAstrus, translation #3970804 by coynejeremy
- 这份沙拉不够酸。This salad is not sour enough.This sentence uses 沙拉 to describe the acidity of a salad.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 uses 沙拉 to describe an action happening in a kitchen.Tatoeba #13556630 by LeviHighway, translation #6251500 by CK
- 15 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to order for lunch.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你想吃沙拉嗎？Nǐ xiǎng chī shālā ma?Do you want to eat a salad?
- 俊杰 Junjie我不太想吃沙拉。Wǒ bù tài xiǎng chī shālā.I don't really want to eat a salad.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那你想吃什麼？Nà nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?Then what do you want to eat?
- 俊杰 Junjie我想吃漢堡。Wǒ xiǎng chī hànbǎo.I want to eat a hamburger.
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.
