How to Say "Wagyu" in Mandarin

和牛

héniú

The English phrase 'wagyu' is translated into Mandarin as 和牛 (héniú).

和牛 is a noun used to refer to the specific breed of cattle known as wagyu. You may also see the term 高级和牛 used to specify 'premium wagyu'.

Meaning: breed of cattle (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The term 和牛 is composed of two parts: 和 (hé), which can mean 'Japanese' or 'harmony' and 牛 (niú), which means 'cow' or 'beef'.

héniú

While 牛 usually means 'cow', in modern Chinese slang, calling someone or something 牛 is a high compliment meaning they are 'awesome' or 'powerful'.
Although 和牛 is a loanword from Japanese, it is written using characters that both languages share. This makes it an 'orthographic borrowing', where the meaning and writing are taken but the pronunciation changes.
The character 和 is used in Mandarin to denote things from Japan, such as 和服 for 'kimono'. While it means 'harmony' in other contexts, here it acts as a shorthand for the country's name.

我想尝一下和牛
I would like to try some wagyu.
我很喜欢吃和牛
I really enjoy eating wagyu.
今天晚上一起吃神户牛吧
Let's have Kobe beef tonight.
我在餐厅尝过高级和牛
I've tasted premium wagyu at the restaurant.
这家店的和牛非常有名。
Zhè jiā diàn de Héniú fēicháng yǒumíng.
The wagyu at this restaurant is very famous.
我想点一份和牛牛排。
Wǒ xiǎng diǎn yī fèn Héniú niúpái.
I want to order a wagyu steak.
和牛的油脂分布很均匀。
Héniú de yóuzhī fēnbù hěn jūnyún.
The fat distribution in the wagyu is very even.

A couple is looking at a menu in a high-end steakhouse.

欣怡 Xinyi

俊杰，你想吃和牛吗？
Jùnjié, nǐ xiǎng chī Héniú ma?
Junjie, do you want to eat wagyu?
俊杰 Junjie

当然，和牛的味道很好。
Dāngrán, Héniú de wèidào hěn hǎo.
Of course, the taste of wagyu is great.
欣怡 Xinyi

那我们点一份试试吧。
Nà wǒmen diǎn yī fèn shì shì ba.
Then let's order one to try.
俊杰 Junjie

好，我也很期待。
Hǎo, wǒ yě hěn qīdài.
Okay, I am looking forward to it too.

Sources

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