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青菜 (qīng cài) — green vegetables; greens; Chinese cabbage

Definition

A common everyday term for leafy green vegetables, especially bok choy / Chinese cabbage. In Mainland usage it often means bok choy specifically; in Taiwan it can mean any green vegetable.

noun
green vegetablesgreensChinese cabbage
Measure word · 棵

Examples

  • 青菜。
    Wǒ měi tiān dōu yào chī yì xiē qīng cài lái bǎo chí jiàn kāng.
    I eat some greens every day to stay healthy.
  • 青菜。
    Mā ma qù shì chǎng mǎi le xīn xiān de qīng cài.
    Mom went to the market and bought fresh greens.
  • 青菜。
    Zhè dào cài lǐ de qīng cài fēi cháng hǎo chī.
    The greens in this dish are very tasty.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

青qīnggreen
菜càivegetable

青 gives the green color and 菜 is a vegetable, together meaning greens.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

An early form of 青 combined 生 and 井, both used for sound; the modern form has changed.

Open 青 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
采
采cǎi菜cài
Same sound today

菜 has 艹 (grass/plants) on top and 采 below; the top part shows it is a plant, while 采 gives the sound.

Open 菜 →
Appears in
Vegetables

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