瓜子
guāzǐ
The English phrase "sunflower seeds" is translated into Chinese as 瓜子 (guāzǐ).
瓜子 refers to the edible seeds of a sunflower plant, which are frequently eaten as a snack. When you want to describe the specific action of cracking open the seeds with your teeth to eat them, you use the verb 嗑 (kè) in the phrase 嗑瓜子.
Which one should you use?
While 瓜子 is the name used for the snack, the term 葵花籽 is the more botanical and formal way to refer to sunflower seeds.
How do you pronounce it?
guāzǐ
When do people say it?
Cracking sunflower seeds is a common social activity in China. It is often enjoyed during festivals or casual gatherings, frequently accompanied by tea or card games.
Did you know?
- In modern Chinese slang, the word 瓜 (guā), the root of 瓜子, has evolved to mean 'gossip' or 'drama'. To 'eat melon' (吃瓜) means to be a passive observer of a celebrity scandal or a public argument.
- While 瓜子 is the common snack name, the character 瓜 literally means 'melon' or 'gourd'. Calling sunflower seeds 'melon seeds' is a linguistic quirk that treats the sunflower as a member of the melon family.
- If you are eating 瓜子 (guāzǐ) at a social gathering, you might notice people are actually engaging in 'gossip' rather than just eating. The act of 'cracking seeds' is often used as a metaphor for the act of spreading rumors or chatting about others.
Examples in context
- 他們一邊嗑香瓜子，一邊打牌。They eat sunflower seeds while playing cards.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use 瓜子 in a social context involving playing cards.Tatoeba #8394792 by xjjAstrus, translation #5978207 by Adelpa
- 我想买一包瓜子。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yì bāo guāzǐ.I want to buy a bag of sunflower seeds.
- 桌子上放着一些瓜子。Zhuōzi shàng fàngzhe yìxiē guāzǐ.There are some sunflower seeds on the table.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are relaxing at home in the afternoon.
- 佳怡 Jiayi你有瓜子吗？Nǐ yǒu guāzǐ ma?Do you have any sunflower seeds?
- 伟 Wei我有，在抽屉里。Wǒ yǒu, zài chōuti li.I do, they are in the drawer.
- 佳怡 Jiayi太好了，我们一起吃吧。Tài hǎo le, wǒmen yìqǐ chī ba.Great, let's eat them together.
- 伟 Wei好啊，我这就拿出来。Hǎo a, wǒ zhè jiù ná chūlái.Sure, I'll bring them out now.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
