荸薺 / 荸荠
bíqí
The English phrase "water chestnut" is translated into Chinese as 荸薺 / 荸荠 (bíqí). If unsure, use 荸薺 / 荸荠. Wiktionary also lists 馬蹄 / 马蹄 (mǎtí) and 葧薺 / 葧荠 (bóqí).
Meaning: corm of this species (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 荸薺 / 荸荠 | bíqí |
| 馬蹄 / 马蹄 | mǎtí |
| 葧薺 / 葧荠 | bóqí |
| 鳧茨 / 凫茨 | fúcí |
| 鳧茈 / 凫茈 | fúcí |
| 地栗 | dìlì |
| 烏芋 / 乌芋 | wūyù |
The term refers to the corm of the water chestnut plant.
What does it mean word for word?
The colloquial term 馬蹄 / 马蹄 literally means "horse hoof", which refers to the specific shape of the water chestnut's corm.
Which one should you use?
荸薺 / 荸荠 (bíqí) is the standard botanical name for the plant. In contrast, 馬蹄 / 马蹄 (mǎtí) is a very common colloquial term used when shopping in markets or cooking.
How do you pronounce it?
bíqí
Did you know?
- The botanical name 荸薺 / 荸荠 may actually be a linguistic evolution of the word for 'navel', due to how the plant's stolon resembles an umbilical cord.
- In traditional Chinese medicine, 荸薺 is categorized as a 'cooling' food used to treat 'internal heat' or inflammation.
- While Westerners typically eat water chestnuts cooked, Chinese cuisine often serves them raw and peeled in syrup to preserve a specific crispness.
Example sentences for Chinese are not verified yet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water chestnut” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 荸薺, 馬蹄, CC BY-SA 4.0.
