芝士

• Pinyin: zhī shì
• Hanzi breakdown: 芝 = phonetic (zhī); 士 = phonetic (shì) — together approximating 'cheese'

Meaning

Cheese; a dairy product made from curdled milk. A loanword from English, commonly used in food contexts.

A transliteration of 'cheese', more common in Southern China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. 奶酪 is the standard Mandarin term. Popular in modern food culture: 芝士蛋糕 (cheesecake), 芝士焗饭 (cheese baked rice), 芝士汉堡 (cheeseburger).

Examples

1. 这款芝士蛋糕口感细腻，入口即化。 This cheesecake has a delicate texture and melts in your mouth.
2. 她点了一份芝士焗意面，香气四溢令人食欲大增。 She ordered baked pasta with cheese, and the aroma was so rich it made her appetite surge.
3. 汉堡里加了双层芝士，味道特别浓郁。 The burger has double cheese, so the flavor is especially rich.

Usage Guide

Context: food, restaurants, baking

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这家店的芝士披萨用料十足，拉丝效果很好。(This shop's cheese pizza is loaded with toppings — the cheese stretches beautifully.)
• 她喜欢在沙拉上撒一些帕尔马芝士碎。(She likes to sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on her salad.)

Don't Say

• 这块芝士很芝士 — redundant; describe the flavour or texture instead, such as 这块芝士味道浓郁

Origin & History

Transliteration of English 'cheese' (芝 zhī + 士 shì)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal