虾
xiā
The English word "shrimp" is translated into Mandarin as 虾 (xiā).
The term refers to the flesh of the crustacean.
Meaning: flesh of the crustacean (noun)
Which one should you use?
虾子 is an informal way to say shrimp.
How do you pronounce it?
xiā
Did you know?
- The character 虾 contains the radical 虫, which means 'insect'. In ancient Chinese classification, crustaceans and worms were grouped together with bugs.
- While 虾 means shrimp, the term 龙虾 literally translates to 'dragon lobster', elevating the crustacean to a mythical status in culinary naming.
- The phrase 虾仁 specifically refers to peeled shrimp. The word 仁 usually means 'benevolence' or 'kernel', implying that the shrimp meat is the precious heart of the shell.
Examples in context
- 阿嗄拉咭是源自非洲的巴西食品，是豇豆面团、洋葱和盐，经棕榈油炸，与虾和辣酱一起食用的食品。Acaraje, a Brazilian food from Africa, is a ball of caupi bean dough, onions, and salt, fried in palm oil and served with shrimp and a spicy sauce.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 虾 in a description of a dish.Tatoeba #5685964 by verdastelo9604, translation #3389242 by hoffmania
- 今晚我们去尝尝那家海鲜餐厅的虾吧，听说虾子很鲜美。 ( Jīnwǎn wǒmen qù cháng chang nà jiā hǎixiān cāntīng de xiā ba, tīngshuō xiāzi hěn xiānměi. )Let's try the shrimp at that seafood restaurant tonight, I heard their shrimps are very delicious.
- 我想吃虾。Wǒ xiǎng chī xiā.I want to eat shrimp.
- 这里的虾很新鲜。Zhèlǐ de xiā hěn xīnxiān.The shrimp here is very fresh.
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to order at a seafood restaurant.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我们点一些虾吧。Wǒmen diǎn yīxiē xiā ba.Let's order some shrimp.
- 伟 Wei好的，我也很喜欢吃虾。Hǎo de, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān chī xiā.Okay, I like eating shrimp too.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen那还要别的吗？Nà hái yào bié de ma?Do you want anything else?
- 伟 Wei不用了，只要虾就可以了。Bùyòng le, zhǐyào xiā jiù kěyǐ le.No need, just the shrimp is enough.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
