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荷包蛋 (hé bāo dàn) — fried egg (sunny-side up or poached, with yolk intact)

Definition

A 荷包蛋 is an egg fried or poached so the yolk stays whole and runny — named for its resemblance to a small pouch (荷包). It is not a scrambled egg or an omelet.

noun
fried egg (sunny-side up or poached, with yolk intact)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 荷包蛋。
    Wǒ zǎo cān xǐ huan chī yí gè hé bāo dàn.
    I like to eat a fried egg for breakfast.
  • 荷包蛋。
    Zhè ge hé bāo dàn jiān dé gāng gāng hǎo.
    This fried egg is cooked just right.
  • 荷包蛋。
    Tā gěi wǒ zuò le liǎng gè hé bāo dàn.
    He made me two fried eggs.

Origin

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艸艸cǎograss; plant
Sound part声符shēngfú
何
何hé荷hé
Same sound today

荷 has 艸, the grass/plant form, to show a plant, and 何 to give the sound.

Open 荷 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape of 包 pictures a fetus in a womb, or a baby wrapped in cloth.

Open 包 →

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
虫虫chóngsnake, insect
Sound part声符shēngfú
延
延yán蛋dàn
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 蛋, the lower part 虫 is a snake or insect, and the upper part is a shortened 延 giving the sound for 'egg'.

Open 蛋 →
Appears in
Food (General)Meat & Seafood

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