莲子

• Pinyin: lián zǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 莲 = 艹 + 连 (lotus — plant radical + connected); 子 = (seed/child)

Meaning

Lotus seed; the edible seed of the lotus plant, widely used in Chinese cuisine, herbal medicine, and desserts.

A staple ingredient in Chinese cooking — used in sweet soups (莲子羹), sticky rice, mooncakes, and tonic broths. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, valued for calming the heart and aiding sleep. Symbolises purity and fertility in Chinese culture.

Examples

1. 她用莲子、银耳和红枣熬制了一锅清甜滋补的糖水，作为消暑饮品。 She simmered lotus seeds, snow fungus, and red dates into a lightly sweet, nourishing dessert soup as a cooling summer drink.
2. 莲子在中医中被认为具有养心安神的功效，常用于调理失眠与心悸。 In traditional Chinese medicine, lotus seeds are believed to nourish the heart and calm the mind, and are often used to help with insomnia and palpitations.
3. 中秋节前夕，食品厂加班加点赶制莲子馅月饼，以满足市场需求。 On the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the food factory worked overtime to produce lotus-seed-paste mooncakes to meet market demand.

Usage Guide

Context: food, traditional medicine, culture, cooking

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 新鲜的莲子口感清甜，可以直接生吃，也可以煮汤或熬粥。(Fresh lotus seeds have a clean, sweet taste — they can be eaten raw or cooked into soups and congee.)
• 这款莲子红豆糖水是广东家庭的传统消暑甜品，做法简单而深受老幼喜爱。(This lotus seed and red bean sweet soup is a traditional cooling dessert in Cantonese households — simple to make and beloved by young and old alike.)

Don't Say

• 将'莲子'与'莲藕'混淆 — 莲子是莲的种子，莲藕是莲的地下茎，两者是同一植物的不同食用部位

Origin & History

莲 (lotus plant) + 子 (seed/child)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal