Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 海鮮 / 海鲜 | hǎixiān |
| 海產食品 / 海产食品 | hǎichǎn shípǐn |
| 魚鮮 / 鱼鲜 | yúxiān |
| 海味 | hǎiwèi |
| 河鮮 / 河鲜 | héxiān |
| 湖鮮 / 湖鲜 | húxiān |
| 水產 / 水产 | shuǐchǎn |
The general term for seafood, encompassing fish, shellfish, seaweed and other edible aquatic life, is 海鮮 / 海鲜. Other terms specify the source or nature of the food, such as freshwater delicacies from rivers or lakes or broader categories like aquatic products.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 海鮮 / 海鲜 is composed of 海 (sea) and 鮮 (fresh/delicious/delicacy).
Which one should you use?
While 海鮮 / 海鲜 refers to seafood from the ocean, 河鮮 / 河鲜 is used specifically for fresh seafood from rivers and 湖鮮 / 湖鲜 is used specifically for fresh seafood from lakes. 海產食品 / 海产食品 is a more formal, technical or commercial term for seafood products. 水產 / 水产 refers more broadly to all aquatic products, such as fish and shrimp and is often used in a commercial or industrial context, like an aquatic products department.
Is it said differently in some regions?
海味 is used colloquially to refer to seafood or things that taste of the sea, particularly in Cantonese-influenced contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
hǎixiān
Did you know?
- While 海鮮 / 海鲜 translates to 'seafood', the character 鮮 / 鲜 originally depicted a fish and a sheep, representing the highest quality of meat and fish.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, seafood is often categorized by its 'temperature' or 'nature', with many types of 海鮮 / 海鲜 being considered 'cold' foods.
- In Cantonese culture, 海味 refers specifically to dried seafood and salted fish used as pantry staples rather than fresh catches.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “seafood” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
