葡萄

• Pinyin: pú tao
• Hanzi breakdown: 葡萄 = both characters are phonetic loan characters for the foreign word for grape, with 艹 (grass radical)

Meaning

Grape. A fruit that grows in clusters on vines.

Common fruit used fresh, dried (葡萄干 raisins), and for wine (葡萄酒). Famous idiom: 吃不到葡萄说葡萄酸 (sour grapes — saying grapes are sour because you can't reach them). Major grape regions include Xinjiang and Ningxia.

Examples

1. 新疆的葡萄特别甜，很有名。 Xinjiang grapes are especially sweet and very famous.
2. 她在超市买了一串紫色的葡萄。 She bought a bunch of purple grapes at the supermarket.
3. 秋天是葡萄成熟的季节。 Autumn is the season when grapes ripen.

Usage Guide

Context: food, fruit, agriculture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这葡萄又大又甜。(These grapes are big and sweet.)
• 我喜欢吃无籽葡萄。(I like eating seedless grapes.)

Don't Say

• 我吃了一个葡萄。(Use 一颗 or 一粒 for individual grapes, 一串 for a bunch)

Origin & History

Transliteration from ancient Persian/Sogdian words for grape, brought via the Silk Road.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal