茄子

• Pinyin: qié zi
• Hanzi breakdown: 茄 = 艹 (grass) + 加 (add, phonetic); 子 = suffix for nouns

Meaning

Eggplant; aubergine. A purple vegetable commonly used in Chinese cuisine.

A staple vegetable in Chinese cooking, used in dishes like 鱼香茄子 (fish-flavored eggplant) and 红烧茄子 (braised eggplant). Also famously used as a word to say when taking photos — equivalent to saying 'cheese' in English, because the mouth shape when saying 茄子 resembles a smile.

Examples

1. 今天晚餐我想做一道红烧茄子。 Tonight for dinner I want to make braised eggplant.
2. 拍照的时候大家一起喊茄子，笑容就自然了。 When taking photos, everyone says 'eggplant' together, and the smiles come naturally.
3. 这个菜市场的茄子又新鲜又便宜。 The eggplants at this market are both fresh and cheap.

Usage Guide

Context: food, cooking, photography

Tone: everyday

Do Say

• 来，笑一笑，说茄子！(Come on, smile, say eggplant!)
• 我喜欢吃茄子。(I like eating eggplant.)

Don't Say

• 不要混淆'茄子'和'番茄' (Don't confuse 茄子 eggplant with 番茄 tomato — they're different vegetables)

Origin & History

Originally from Sanskrit 'vatinganah' via Persian, the word entered Chinese as a phonetic borrowing. 茄 combines 艹 (grass radical) with 加 (add, phonetic).

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal