How to Say "Tomato" in Mandarin

西紅柿 / 西红柿

xīhóngshì

The English word 'tomato' is translated into Mandarin as 西紅柿 / 西红柿 (xīhóngshì) or 番茄. Wiktionary also lists 柿子 (shìzi).

Meaning: fruit (noun)

Ways to say it

The term 西紅柿 / 西红柿 literally translates to 'Western red persimmon'.

西紅柿 / 西红柿 is a way to refer to the fruit, while 番茄 is another standard term used for the tomato. 柿子 is a dialectal term.

柿子 is a dialectal form.

xīhóngshì

Do not use 柿子 to mean tomato. In Mandarin, 柿子 refers specifically to the persimmon fruit.

In certain folk beliefs, because 柿子 sounds like 'the matter is settled', gifting these fruits can symbolize a wish for a smooth resolution to problems.
The word 番 in 番茄 is an ancient way to denote something 'foreign' or 'exotic', marking the tomato as an outsider to Chinese agriculture.
The word 番茄 is related to the Thai word มะเขือเทศ, where the second part of the term means 'foreign'.

番茄是蔬菜而不是水果。
The tomato is a vegetable, not a fruit.
This sentence is useful for showing how to distinguish between a vegetable and a fruit using 番茄.
Tatoeba #1788075 by sadhen, translation #37442 by CM
BLT 代表培根、生菜和番茄。
BLT stands for bacon, lettuce and tomato.
This sentence shows how to list ingredients in a sandwich using 番茄.
Tatoeba #13539360 by LeviHighway, translation #2747481 by Hybrid
番茄容易遭受很多病害。
The tomato is subject to a number of diseases.
This sentence describes how the tomato is susceptible to diseases using 番茄.
Tatoeba #333374 by fucongcong, translation #37443 by AlanF_US
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Sources

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