臭豆腐
chòudòufu
臭豆腐 (chòudòufu) is the Mandarin word for stinky tofu.
臭豆腐 refers to a form of fermented tofu.
Meaning: form of fermented tofu (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 臭 (chòu), meaning 'stinky' and 豆腐 (dòufu), meaning 'tofu'.
How do you pronounce it?
chòudòufu
Did you know?
- In some Chinese dialects, calling something 臭 can be a term of endearment for children, such as 臭小子 ('stinky boy'), which functions like 'rascal' in English.
- In some regions, 臭豆腐 is so pungent that it is banned from being sold or eaten in certain elevators and small enclosed public spaces.
- Despite the name, the actual taste of 臭豆腐 is often described by locals as 'fragrant' (香 xiāng), creating a sensory paradox between the smell and the flavor.
Examples in context
- Nǐ chīguo chòu dòufu ma? (你吃过臭豆腐吗？)Have you tried stinky tofu?
- 我想吃臭豆腐。Wǒ xiǎng chī chòu dòufu.I want to eat stinky tofu.
- 这家店的臭豆腐很有名。Zhè jiā diàn de chòu dòufu hěn yǒumíng.This shop's stinky tofu is very famous.
- 你看，那是臭豆腐。Nǐ kàn, nà shì chòu dòufu.Look, that is stinky tofu.
Example conversation
At a busy night market.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen志强，我们去买臭豆腐吧。Zhìqiáng, wǒmen qù mǎi chòu dòufu ba.Zhiqiang, let's go buy some stinky tofu.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好啊，我正好也想吃。Hǎo a, wǒ zhènghǎo yě xiǎng chī.Okay, I happen to want some too.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen这里的臭豆腐味道很香。Zhèlǐ de chòu dòufu wèidào hěn xiāng.The stinky tofu here smells delicious.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们快点去排队吧。Nà wǒmen kuài diǎn qù páiduì ba.Then let's go line up quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “stinky tofu” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
