虾

• Pinyin: xiā
• Hanzi breakdown: 虾 = 虫 (creature radical) + 叚 (phonetic — temporary, borrowed) — a sea creature

Meaning

Shrimp; prawn. A crustacean widely consumed in Chinese cuisine, found in both freshwater and saltwater varieties.

A staple of Chinese cooking with dozens of preparation methods. 大虾 (large prawns) and 小虾 (small shrimp) are distinguished. Common in both street food and banquet contexts. Also used colloquially in internet slang (大虾 = internet expert).

Examples

1. 她最拿手的菜是清蒸大虾，简单却鲜美无比。 Her signature dish is steamed jumbo shrimp—simple, but incredibly delicious.
2. 市场上的活虾非常新鲜，买了一斤回来做蒜蓉虾。 The live shrimp at the market were very fresh, so she bought a pound to make garlic shrimp.
3. 海边的夜市有各种烤虾摊，香气扑鼻，令人垂涎。 The night market by the sea has all kinds of grilled-shrimp stalls; the aroma is irresistible.

Usage Guide

Context: food, cooking, markets, cuisine, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国沿海菜系对虾的做法很丰富，白灼、红烧、盐水、干煸各有风味，虾也因此成了常见食材。(Coastal Chinese cuisines have many ways to cook shrimp, including poached, red-braised, salt-water, and dry-fried styles, each with its own flavor, which is why shrimp is such a common ingredient.)
• 研究员发现，随着食品安全意识提高，越来越多养殖户改用低密度、无抗生素、可追溯的生态方式养虾。(The researcher found that as food safety awareness rises, more and more farmers are switching to low-density, antibiotic-free, traceable ecological shrimp farming.)

Don't Say

• 虾 and 龙虾 interchangeably — 虾 refers to shrimp and prawns in general, while 龙虾 specifically means lobster; they are distinct crustaceans with very different sizes and culinary contexts

Origin & History

虾 — pictophonetic character: 虫 (insect/creature radical) + 叚 (phonetic component) — referring to shrimp and prawn as aquatic creatures

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal