How to Say "Vegetables" in Chinese

蔬菜

The English phrase "vegetables" is translated into Chinese as 蔬菜.

蔬菜 refers to vegetables.

What does it mean word for word?

The word 蔬菜 is a compound of 蔬 (vegetable/greens) and 菜 (dish/vegetable/vegetable dish).

蔬菜 is a mass noun and does not have a plural form in Chinese.

The word 菜 is used in the term 菜鸟 (meaning 'vegetable bird') to describe a complete beginner or a 'noob'. It implies the person is as fresh and inexperienced as a newly sprouted plant.
The character 菜 is also used to describe different types of cuisines, such as 川菜 for Sichuan food. In this context, it does not mean 'Sichuan vegetables' but 'Sichuan style cooking'.
In certain cultural contexts, offering a plate of purely 蔬菜 at a formal banquet might be seen as insufficient, as meat is traditionally viewed as the primary sign of hospitality and wealth.

你得吃蔬菜。
You should eat vegetables.
Tatoeba #3376499 by go_oo, translation #1808071 by pne
这家店在卖蔬菜。
This store is currently selling vegetables.
Tatoeba #2144020 by ydcok, translation #2160733 by CM
你想买什么蔬菜？
What vegetables do you want to buy?
Tatoeba #4757236 by ryanwoo, translation #4756647 by cairnhead
我喜欢吃各种蔬菜。
I like to eat various vegetables.
中午想吃什么菜？
What vegetables/dishes do you want to eat for lunch?
42 more sentences on Tatoeba

At a supermarket, deciding what to buy for dinner.

俊杰 Junjie

我们要买点新鲜蔬菜吗？
Wǒmen yào mǎi diǎn xīnxiān shūcài ma?
Do we need to buy some fresh vegetables?
梓涵 Zihan

好啊，我也想买蔬菜。
Hǎo a, wǒ yě xiǎng mǎi shūcài.
Okay, I want to buy vegetables too.
俊杰 Junjie

你看，这些蔬菜很便宜。
Nǐ kàn, zhèxiē shūcài hěn piányi.
Look, these vegetables are very cheap.
梓涵 Zihan

那我们多买一点吧。
Nà wǒmen duō mǎi yìdiǎn ba.
Then let's buy a few more.

Sources

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