滑梯
huátī
In Chinese, the English noun "slide" is translated as 滑梯 (huátī).
The term 滑梯 refers to an item of play equipment. When describing the act of using one, you typically use the verb 玩 (wán), meaning "to play", in the phrase 玩滑梯 (to play on a slide).
Meaning: item of play equipment (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 滑梯 is composed of two parts: 滑 (huá), which means "to slide" and 梯 (tī), which means "ladder" or "stairs/steps".
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Taiwanese Mandarin, the term 滑梯 is commonly used for "slide".
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
huátī
Did you know?
- The character 滑 can also mean 'slippery' or 'slick', and is used to describe a person who is 'slippery' or cunning in social situations.
- The term 滑 is the same root used for 'touchscreens' in modern Chinese, as 'swiping' a phone is considered a form of sliding.
- While 滑梯 is standard, some children in China colloquially refer to the act of sliding as 溜滑梯, using the verb 溜 which can also mean 'to stroll' or 'to sneak away'.
Examples in context
- 那个滑梯很长。Nàge huátī hěn cháng.That slide is very long.
- 小朋友在玩滑梯。Xiǎopéngyǒu zài wán huátī.The children are playing on the slide.
- 这个滑梯很安全。Zhège huátī hěn ānquán.This slide is very safe.
Example conversation
A mother and her son are at a local park.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，你想玩滑梯吗？Hàorán, nǐ xiǎng wán huátī ma?Haoran, do you want to play on the slide?
- 浩然 Haoran想，我想玩那个红色的滑梯。Xiǎng, wǒ xiǎng wán nàge hóngsè de huátī.Yes, I want to play on that red slide.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen好，我们走过去吧。Hǎo, wǒmen zǒu guòqù ba.Okay, let's walk over there.
- 浩然 Haoran妈妈，你看，滑梯好高！Māma, nǐ kàn, huátī hǎo gāo!Mom, look, the slide is so high!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “slide” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
