Vegetables and greens hold an important place in Chinese cuisine. They are nutritious, affordable and delicious to boot.

From crunchy bok choy to juicy tomatoes - this article will introduce you to popular greens and vegetables.

A delectable variety of vegetables always whets the appetite. [Photo/IC]

Chinese names for vegetables and greens

01. Vegetables in Chinese

Let's start with the basics and learn how to say "vegetables" in Chinese:

蔬菜

shū cài

vegetables

The term for greens in Chinese is 绿叶菜 (lǜ yè cài), which refers to green vegetables in general:

绿叶菜

lǜ yè cài

green vegetables, greens

02. Vegetarian diet in Chinese

The term for vegetarian diet in Chinese is "素食 (sù shí)", where the word "素 sù" means plain, simple and "食 shí" means food.

This term is widely used in restaurants, menus and among people who follow a vegetarian lifestyle in China.

素食

sù shí

vegetarian diet

Additionally, someone who is a vegetarian can be referred to as "素食者 (sù shí zhě)," where "者 (zhě)" means person or practitioner.

素食者

sù shí zhě

vegetarian

Note

If you're in a restaurant and would like to ask if they have a vegetarian menu, you can say:

请问，有素食菜单吗？

qǐng wèn, yǒu sù shí cài dān ma?

Excuse me, do you have a vegetarian menu?

03. Chinese native vegetables

China is home to a wide variety of native vegetables that are commonly used in its cuisine. Some of the most well-known include:

白菜

bái cài

Chinese cabbage

油菜

yóu cài

bok choy

茄子

qié zi

eggplant

芥蓝

jiè lán

Chinese kale

莲藕

lián ǒu

lotus roots

04. Common vegetables

Other well-known vegetables also play a crucial role in Chinese dishes. Here are a few examples:

黄瓜

huáng guā

cucumber

胡萝卜

hú luó bo

carrot

西红柿

xī hóng shì

tomato

花菜

huā cài

cauliflower

西兰花

xī lán huā

broccoli

土豆

tǔ dòu

potato

洋葱

yáng cōng

onion

青椒

qīng jiāo

green bell pepper

05. Measuring words for vegetables

When going to a Chinese market, you'll find it helpful to know the measuring words for vegetables:

个 (gè) - general measuring word.

Example

请给我三个西红柿。

qǐng gěi wǒ sān gè xī hóng shì.

Please give me three tomatoes.

根 (gēn) - for long, thin items.

Example

我想买两根胡萝卜。

wǒ xiǎng mǎi liǎng gēn hú luó bo.

I want to buy two carrots.

棵 (kē) - for plants that grow as a whole.

Example

我要一棵白菜。

wǒ yào yì kē bái cài.

I want one Chinese cabbage.

 

Source: That's Mandarin