苹果

• 拼音: píng guǒ
• 汉字拆解: 苹 = 艹 (grass/plant) + 平 (flat, phonetic); 果 = 田 (field) + 木 (tree), a pictograph of fruit on a tree

含义

Apple. A common round fruit, usually red or green, eaten fresh or used in cooking.

One of the most common fruits in China. Also widely used to refer to the Apple brand (苹果手机 = iPhone, 苹果电脑 = Mac). In Chinese culture, apples symbolise peace because 苹 sounds like 平 (peace). Giving apples on Christmas Eve (平安夜) is a popular modern Chinese tradition.

例句

1. 我每天早上吃一个苹果。
2. 秋天的苹果又大又甜。
3. 妈妈买了一袋苹果回来。

用法指南

语境: food, daily life, shopping

语气: neutral

正确说法

• 这个苹果真甜！(This apple is so sweet!)
• 平安夜的时候，大家会互相送苹果。(On Christmas Eve, people exchange apples as gifts.)

错误说法

• 我想吃一个红色苹果颜色的水果。(Don't use such a roundabout description — just say 我想吃苹果. Chinese speakers simply name the fruit directly.)

起源与历史

苹 was a phonetic borrowing; 果 means fruit. The 艹 (grass) radical on 苹 indicates it is a plant product.

文化背景

世代: All ages

社会背景: Universal