草莓
chháu-mûi
The Hokkien word for strawberry is 草莓 (chháu-mûi).
草莓 is a noun used to refer to the accessory fruit known as a strawberry.
Meaning: accessory fruit (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
chháu-mûi
Did you know?
- In traditional Hokkien culture, strawberries were not indigenous, so the term 草莓 arrived as a descriptive translation of foreign fruits during colonial or trade eras.
- The word 草莓 literally translates to 'grass berry', reflecting a common pattern in many East Asian languages where berries are categorized by their low-growing habits.
- The word 草莓 uses the same characters as the Mandarin Chinese word for strawberry, but the pronunciation is completely different in Hokkien.
Examples in context
- 這碗草莓真甜。tsia uann tsháu-bê tsin têng.This bowl of strawberries is very sweet.
- 我想買草莓。guá siūⁿ beh mái tsháu-bê.I want to buy strawberries.
Example conversation
Jiahao and Xiaowen are at a fruit market.
- 家豪 Ka-hao曉雯，你看這草莓很紅。Xiǎowén, lí khuàⁿ che chháu-môe hěn âng.Xiaowen, look, these strawberries are very red.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun對，看起來很新鮮。tùi, khàn-khí-lâi hěn sin-siên.Yes, they look very fresh.
- 家豪 Ka-hao我們買一盒草莓吧。lán bé chi̍t hōe chháu-môe pa.Let's buy a box of strawberries.
- 曉雯 Hiau-bun好，我也很喜歡食。hó, uá iā hěn hí-huann chia̍h.Okay, I like eating them too.
