草菇
cǎogū/t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku⁵⁵/
The English phrase "straw mushroom" is translated to Chinese as 草菇 (cǎogū).
草菇 refers to the small edible mushroom known scientifically as Volvariella volvacea.
Meaning: small edible mushroom, Volvariella volvacea (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is cǎogū. The IPA pronunciation is /tsʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ ku⁵⁵/.
Did you know?
- In Traditional Chinese medicine, certain varieties of 菇 are believed to have different 'thermal' properties, meaning they are classified as 'cooling' or 'warming' the body.
- The character 草 in 草菇 is also used in the word for 'sketch' or 'draft' 草稿, as both imply something raw or unrefined.
- When selecting 草菇 in a wet market, the texture is often judged by how much 'bounce' or 'springiness' the cap has, a quality known as 'Q' in many Asian culinary contexts.
Examples in context
- 我需要一些草菇来做火锅。I need some straw mushrooms to make hot pot.
- 我喜欢吃草菇。Wǒ xǐhuān chī cǎogū.I like eating straw mushrooms.
- 超市里有新鲜的草菇。Chāoshì lǐ yǒu xīnxiān de cǎogū.There are fresh straw mushrooms in the supermarket.
- 这种草菇味道很鲜。Zhè zhǒng cǎogū wèidào hěn xiān.This kind of straw mushroom tastes very fresh.
Example conversation
At a grocery store, Zhiqiang asks Jiayi about ingredients for a soup.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，我们要买草菇吗？Jiāyí, wǒmen yào mǎi cǎogū ma?Jiayi, do we need to buy straw mushrooms?
- 佳怡 Jiayi买一点吧，草菇很新鲜。Mǎi yīdiǎn ba, cǎogū hěn xīnxiān.Let's buy some, the straw mushrooms are very fresh.
- 志强 Zhiqiang那我们再买点豆腐。Nà wǒmen zài mǎi diǎn dòufu.Then let's buy some tofu too.
- 佳怡 Jiayi好的，志强，走吧。Hǎo de, Zhìqiáng, zǒu ba.Okay, Zhiqiang, let's go.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “straw mushroom” translations and entries 草菇, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
