木瓜 (mù guā) — papaya (the tropical fruit, Carica papaya); flowering quince (the shrub Chaenomeles speciosa, whose fruit is used in traditional medicine); (slang) stupid person, slow learner
Definition
In modern Chinese 木瓜 usually means the tropical papaya, but in traditional medicine and classical writing it refers to flowering quince (Chaenomeles). The slang sense ('blockhead') is a derogatory insult meaning a stupid or slow person.
noun
papaya (the tropical fruit, Carica papaya)flowering quince (the shrub Chaenomeles speciosa, whose fruit is used in traditional medicine)(slang) stupid personslow learner
Measure word · 个
Examples
- 木瓜。Wǒ měi tiān zǎo shàng chī yí gè mù guā.I eat a papaya every morning.
- 木瓜。mù guā Shì yì zhǒng cháng jiàn de zhōng yào cái.Papaya/flowering quince is a common Chinese medicinal herb.
- ，木瓜。Tā kǎo shì bù jí gé, zhēn shì gè mù guā.He failed the exam; he's really a blockhead.
Appears in
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