甘薯
gānshǔ
The English phrase sweet potato is translated into Chinese as 甘薯 (gānshǔ). Wiktionary also lists 白薯 (báishǔ) and 紅薯 / 红薯 (hóngshǔ).
Meaning: tuber (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 甘薯 | gānshǔ |
| 白薯 | báishǔ |
| 紅薯 / 红薯 | hóngshǔ |
| 番薯 | fānshǔ |
| 山芋 | shānyù |
| 番芋 | fānyù |
| 地瓜 | dìguā |
| 紅苕 / 红苕 | hóngsháo |
| 線苕 / 线苕 | xiànsháo |
| 金薯 | jīnshǔ |
| 甜薯 | tiánshǔ |
| 朱薯 | zhūshǔ |
| 玉枕薯 | yùzhěnshǔ |
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term 甘薯 is a combination of 甘, meaning 'sweet' and 薯, meaning 'tuber'.
Which one should you use?
While 甘薯 is a formal or botanical term, several other forms are used in daily speech. For example, 山芋 is sometimes used for sweet potatoes in certain dialects, but it more commonly refers to yams or similar starchy tubers. Other variations include 白薯, 紅薯 / 红薯, 番薯, 番芋, 地瓜, 紅苕 / 红苕, 線苕 / 线苕, 金薯, 甜薯, 朱薯 and 玉枕薯.
Is it said differently in some regions?
地瓜 is widely used in southern China, particularly in Guangdong and Fujian provinces. 番薯 is often used in Taiwan and some parts of Southeast Asia.
How do you pronounce it?
gānshǔ
Did you know?
- The term 玉枕薯 (yùzhěnshǔ) translates to 'jade pillow tuber', a poetic name used for specific high-quality varieties.
- The word 番 in 番薯 historically referred to 'foreign' or 'barbarian' origins, as sweet potatoes were introduced to China from the Americas.
- The term 地瓜 (dìguā) translates literally to 'earth melon', a surprising botanical comparison for a root vegetable.
Examples in context
- 您真的點了地瓜片來搭配素食漢堡嗎？Did you really order sweet potato fries to go with your veggie burger?This sentence is useful for seeing how 地瓜 is used when talking about sweet potato fries.Tatoeba #13543135 by LeviHighway, translation #10561470 by DJ_Saidez
- 我喜欢吃红薯。I like to eat sweet potatoes.
- 你有没有吃过地瓜呀？Have you ever eaten sweet potato?
- 我最喜欢吃番薯了。I like sweet potatoes the most.
- 這塊甘薯的味道很甜。Zhè kuài gānshǔ de wèidào hěn tián.This piece of sweet potato tastes very sweet.
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are discussing what to cook for dinner.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，我們今晚煮甘薯好嗎？Jùnjié, wǒmen jīnwǎn zhǔ gānshǔ hǎo ma?Junjie, shall we cook sweet potatoes tonight?
- 俊杰 Junjie好主意，我正好買了一些。Hǎo zhǔyì, wǒ zhènghǎo mǎile yīxiē.Good idea, I happen to have bought some.
- 雨婷 Yuting那我要把它們切成塊。Nà wǒ yào bǎ tāmen qiē chéng kuài.Then I will cut them into chunks.
- 俊杰 Junjie沒問題，交給你處理。Méi wèntí, jiāo gěi nǐ chǔlǐ.No problem, I'll leave it to you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “sweet potato” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
