金枪鱼
jīnqiāngyú
Tuna is 金枪鱼 (jīnqiāngyú) in Chinese.
金枪鱼 is the noun used to refer to the tuna fish. It is used in culinary contexts, such as in the phrases 金枪鱼寿司 (tuna sushi), 金枪鱼刺身 (tuna sashimi), 金枪鱼煎饼 (tuna pancake) and 金枪鱼沙拉 (tuna salad).
Meaning: fish (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The term 金枪鱼 (jīnqiāngyú) literally translates to 'gold spear fish', composed of 金 (gold), 枪 (spear) and 鱼 (fish).
How do you pronounce it?
jīnqiāngyú
Did you know?
- While 金枪鱼 is the standard term, tuna are sometimes called 吞拿鱼 (tūnáyú) in Hong Kong and Guangdong. This is a phonetic loanword derived from the English word 'tuna'.
- The word for tuna, 金枪鱼, uses the character 枪 (spear), which is the same character used for a modern handgun. This creates a linguistic imagery of a 'gold spear' piercing the water.
- In Chinese culinary culture, tuna is often categorized as 'high-end' seafood, whereas in some Western contexts, canned tuna is seen as a common staple. This makes the use of 金枪鱼 a signal of luxury in dining.
Examples in context
- 日本人喜欢吃金枪鱼。Japanese people like to eat tuna.This sentence is useful for expressing a preference for eating 金枪鱼.Tatoeba #8591226 by easononizuka, translation #3687342 by sarefo
- 请问，有鲔鱼吗？Excuse me, do you have tuna?
- 这家餐厅的金枪鱼很新鲜。Zhè jiā cāntīng de jīnqāngyú hěn xīnxiān.The tuna at this restaurant is very fresh.
- 我想买一罐金枪鱼。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī guàn jīnqāngyú.I want to buy a can of tuna.
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at a seafood menu in a restaurant.
- 伟 Wei你觉得金枪鱼怎么样？Nǐ juéde jīnqāngyú zěnmeyàng?What do you think about the tuna?
- 雨婷 Yuting金枪鱼看起来很好吃。Jīnqāngyú kàn qǐlái hěn hǎochī.The tuna looks delicious.
- 伟 Wei那我们点一份金枪鱼吧。Nà wǒmen diǎn yī fèn jīnqāngyú ba.Then let's order an order of tuna.
- 雨婷 Yuting好，我也很喜欢吃金枪鱼。Hǎo, wǒ yě hěn xǐhuān chī jīnqāngyú.Okay, I also like eating tuna very much.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
