蔬菜

• Pinyin: shū cài
• Hanzi breakdown: 蔬 = 艹 (grass) + 疏 (sparse), edible plants; 菜 = 艹 (grass) + 采 (pick), greens to pick

Meaning

Vegetables. Edible plants or plant parts used as food.

A general term for all vegetables. In Chinese cuisine, vegetables are essential to every meal, often stir-fried, steamed, or used in soups. Common categories include leafy greens (青菜), root vegetables (萝卜), and legumes (豆类). Fresh vegetables are highly valued.

Examples

1. 医生建议每天至少吃三百克蔬菜。 Doctors recommend eating at least 300 grams of vegetables daily.
2. 这个市场的蔬菜都是附近农民当天早上送来的，特别新鲜。 The vegetables at this market are delivered fresh by nearby farmers each morning — they're especially fresh.
3. 很多孩子不爱吃蔬菜，家长要想办法改变他们的饮食习惯。 Many children don't like eating vegetables, so parents need to find ways to change their eating habits.

Usage Guide

Context: food, health, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 多吃蔬菜对身体好。(Eating more vegetables is good for your health.)
• 今天的蔬菜很新鲜。(Today's vegetables are very fresh.)

Don't Say

• 一个蔬菜 — use 一种蔬菜 (a type of vegetable) or specific names; 蔬菜 is uncountable in Chinese

Origin & History

Compound of 蔬 (vegetables) + 菜 (greens/dish), both characters contain the grass radical 艹 indicating plants.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal