Mandarin Language - Blog Posts

市场菜 Farmer's Market Foods

So the farmer's market levels are SO MUCH so I thought I would do a separate list of just the foods!

荔枝 / lì zhī / lychee

西红柿，西紅柿 / xī hóng shì / tomato

番茄 / fān qié / tomato

番茄酱，番茄醬 / fān qié jiàng / ketchup*

西红柿炒鸡蛋 / xī hóng shì chǎo jī dàn / tomato & scrabbled eggs

黄瓜， 黃瓜 / huáng guā / cucumber

南瓜 / nán guā / pumpkin

西瓜 / xī guā / watermelon

地瓜 / dì guā / yam, sweet potato

苦瓜 / kǔ guā / bitter melon

冬瓜 / dōng guā / winter melon

葡萄 / pú tao / grape

草莓 / cǎo méi / strawberry

排骨 / pái gǔ / ribs, cutlet (e.g. 猪排骨 pork ribs)

骨头汤 / gǔ tou tāng / bone soup

蘑菇 / mó gu / mushroom

木耳 / mù ěr / fungus

香菇 / xiāng gū / shiitake mushroom (fragrant)

金针菇 / jīn zhēng gū / enoki mushroom (golden needle)

剁 / duò / to chop or mince

炖 / dùn / to stew

Bonus:

傻瓜 / shǎ guā / silly melon, silly goose, idiot

*NOTE: Ketchup can only use 番茄！However 番茄/西红柿 are interchangeable for tomatoes in general

倒序词：Inverted/Palindromic Words

I’m sure you’ve noticed in your Chinese studies that there are some words for which you can switch the order of the characters and get a new word! In Chinese these can be called 倒序词. I’ve put together a list of 20 倒序词 pairs, most of which I’ve stumbled across over the past couple years. It’s so interesting to see the relationships between the words! Most example sentences are via Pleco.

牙刷 yáshuā - toothbrush 一把牙刷 刷牙 shuā//yá - to brush one’s teeth 我每天睡觉前刷牙。

开放 kāifàng - to bloom / to open / to be open (to the public) / to open up (to the outside) / to be open-minded / unrestrained by convention 图书馆从上午9点开放到下午6点。 放开 fàng//kāi - to let go / to release 妈妈放开了女儿的手。

喜欢 xǐhuan - to like / to be fond of 你喜欢不喜欢中国音乐？ 欢喜 huānxǐ - happy / joyous / delighted / to like / to be fond of 她心跳加速，满心欢喜。

著名 zhùmíng - famous / noted / well-known / celebrated 我们的中文老师是一位著名的小说家。 名著 míngzhù - masterpiece, famous book, celebrated work 我最近读的名著有点太多了。

犯罪 fàn//zuì - to commit a crime / crime / offense 听到她的犯罪历史，我大吃一惊。 罪犯 zuìfàn - criminal 警察还没有抓到那些罪犯。

事故 shìgù - accident 事故的原因还在调查之中。 故事 gùshì - old practice || gùshi - narrative / story / tale 这是一个真实的故事。

女儿 nǚ'ér - daughter 他们的三个孩子都是女儿，没有儿子。 儿女 érnǚ - children / sons and daughters 儿女有赡养老人的义务。

蜜蜂 mìfēng - bee / honeybee 一只蜜蜂 蜂蜜 fēngmì - honey 一罐蜂蜜

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