水果

• Pinyin: shuǐ guǒ
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = water; 果 = pictograph of fruit on a tree

Meaning

Fruit. The general term for all types of edible fruit.

Used as a collective noun for fruit in general. Chinese people commonly eat fruit after meals and often bring fruit as a gift when visiting someone. Specific fruits have their own names, such as 苹果 (apple) or 香蕉 (banana).

Examples

1. 我喜欢吃水果。 I like eating fruit.
2. 这些水果很好吃。 These fruits are delicious.
3. 妈妈买了很多水果。 Mom bought a lot of fruit.

Usage Guide

Context: food and drink, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你喜欢吃什么水果？(What fruit do you like to eat?)
• 多吃水果对身体好。(Eating more fruit is good for your health.)

Don't Say

• 我想吃一个水果。(Unnatural — say 我想吃点儿水果 or name the specific fruit like 苹果; 一个水果 sounds odd)

Origin & History

A compound of 水 (water) and 果 (fruit/result), likely referencing the juicy nature of fresh fruit.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal