芝麻鸡
zhī ma jī
Sesame chicken in Chinese is 芝麻鸡 (zhī ma jī).
芝麻鸡 refers to a dish of fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet and savory sauce and topped with sesame seeds.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 芝麻, which literally means 'sesame seed' and 鸡, which means 'chicken'.
How do you pronounce it?
zhī ma jī
Did you know?
- The word 芝麻 is a cognate with the word 'simsim' used in Arabic and Hindi, reflecting the ancient trade routes that spread sesame seeds across Asia.
- In China, the character 芝 in 芝麻 can also refer to 'lingzhi', a sacred mushroom associated with immortality and longevity in traditional culture.
- In China, the character 芝麻 is used in the idiom 芝麻小事, which describes a problem as being as small as a 'sesame seed'.
Examples in context
- 这份芝麻鸡很好吃。Zhè fèn zhīma jī hěn hǎochī.This sesame chicken is delicious.
- 服务员，请给我一份芝麻鸡。Fúwùyuán, qǐng gěi wǒ yī fèn zhīma jī.Waiter, please give me an order of sesame chicken.
Example conversation
A couple is ordering food at a Chinese restaurant.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，你想点什么？Zǐhán, nǐ xiǎng diǎn shénme?Zihan, what would you like to order?
- 梓涵 Zihan我想吃芝麻鸡。Wǒ xiǎng chī zhīma jī.I want to eat sesame chicken.
- 伟 Wei我也很喜欢芝麻鸡。Wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān zhīma jī.I also really like sesame chicken.
- 梓涵 Zihan那我们就点这个吧。Nà wǒmen jiù diǎn zhège ba.Then let's order this.
