How to Say "Watermelon" in Chinese

西瓜

xīguā

The Chinese word for watermelon is 西瓜 (xīguā).

When talking specifically about the red flesh or pulp inside the fruit, you use the term 西瓜瓤.

Meaning: fruit (noun)

What does it mean word for word?

The word 西瓜 is composed of 西 (xī), meaning 'West' and 瓜 (guā), meaning 'melon' or 'gourd'.

In Beijing and parts of northern China, you may hear the colloquial term 西瓜儿 used to refer to watermelon.

xīguā

Historical records from around the year 950 suggest that the Khitan people acquired this fruit after defeating the Uyghurs.
In certain regions, watermelons are considered a 'cooling' food in traditional Chinese medicine and are eaten specifically to lower the body's internal heat.
While 西瓜 means 'watermelon', the root word 瓜 covers a vast range of plants including cucumbers and pumpkins, which are all considered 'melons' in Chinese.

咱们吃个西瓜吧！
Let's eat a watermelon!
This sentence shows how to suggest eating a watermelon.
Tatoeba #421379 by GlossaMatik, translation #421377 by FeuDRenais
我在吃一個西瓜。
I am eating a watermelon.
This sentence demonstrates the use of the word when describing an ongoing action.
Tatoeba #8824167 by xjjAstrus, translation #8826929 by francaisr0wlet
這西瓜瓤兒太肉。
The flesh of this watermelon is too mushy.
This sentence uses the term to describe the texture of the watermelon flesh.
Tatoeba #13513812 by LeviHighway, translation #13540978 by LeviHighway
我喜欢吃西瓜。
I like to eat watermelon.
你想要吃一个西瓜儿吗？
Do you want to eat a watermelon?
15 more sentences on Tatoeba

A warm summer afternoon at home.

梓涵 Zihan

冰箱里有西瓜吗？
Bīngxiāng lǐ yǒu xīguā ma?
Is there any watermelon in the fridge?
浩然 Haoran

有的，我刚买了一个西瓜。
Yǒu de, wǒ gāng mǎi le yí ge xīguā.
Yes, I just bought a watermelon.
梓涵 Zihan

那太好了，我想吃西瓜。
Nà tài hǎo le, wǒ xiǎng chī xīguā.
That's great, I want to eat watermelon.
浩然 Haoran

好，我这就切开给你吃。
Hǎo, wǒ zhè jiù qiē kāi gěi nǐ chī.
Okay, I'll cut it open for you right now.

Sources

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