冬瓜
dōngguā
The English phrase winter melon is translated into Chinese as 冬瓜 (dōngguā). If unsure, use 冬瓜. Wiktionary also lists 節瓜 / 节瓜 (jiéguā) and 冬甜瓜 (dōngtiánguā).
Meaning: Translations (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 冬瓜 | dōngguā |
| 節瓜 / 节瓜 | jiéguā |
| 冬甜瓜 | dōngtiánguā |
In Chinese cuisine, winter melon is frequently used in soups and braised dishes because of its ability to absorb the flavors of the broth and its cooling properties in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 冬瓜 consists of 冬 meaning 'winter' and 瓜 meaning 'melon' or 'gourd'.
How do you pronounce it?
dōngguā
Did you know?
- The character 瓜 is used in the common insult 傻瓜, which literally means 'foolish melon' to describe a 'simpleton'.
- The name 冬瓜 is not about when the plant grows, but refers to the traditional practice of storing the melons to be eaten throughout the winter.
- While 冬瓜 translates to 'winter melon', the term 瓜 is so flexible in Chinese that it encompasses 'watermelons', 'cucumbers' and 'pumpkins' all under one word.
Examples in context
- 我今天买了个冬瓜，准备煮汤。I bought a winter melon today, planning to cook a soup.
- 冬天用冬瓜做的糖水真好喝。Winter melon dessert made in winter is really delicious.
- 实在太热了，喝点冷冬瓜茶解渴。It's really hot, let's drink some cold winter melon tea to quench our thirst.
- 今天天气凉爽，炖个冬瓜鸡汤怎么样？The weather is cool today, how about making a winter melon chicken soup?
- 我想买一个冬瓜。Wǒ xiǎng mǎi yī gè dōngguā.I want to buy a winter melon.
- 这个冬瓜很新鲜。Zhège dōngguā hěn xīnxiān.This winter melon is very fresh.
- 冬瓜汤很好喝。Dōngguā tāng hěn hǎohē.The winter melon soup is delicious.
Example conversation
A man and a woman are at a grocery store.
- 佳怡 Jiayi浩然，你看这个冬瓜怎么样？Hàorán, nǐ kàn zhège dōngguā zěnmeyàng?Haoran, what do you think of this winter melon?
- 浩然 Haoran这个冬瓜看起来很不错。Zhège dōngguā kàn qǐlái hěn bùcuò.This winter melon looks quite good.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们就买一个吧。Nà wǒmen jiù mǎi yī gè ba.Then let's buy one.
- 浩然 Haoran好，我去结账。Hǎo, wǒ qù jiézhàng.Okay, I will go pay.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “winter melon” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
