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西红柿 (xī hóng shì) — tomato

Definition

Northern Chinese everyday word for 'tomato'. 番茄 (fān qié) is the more formal/southern alternative. 红薯 is a different vegetable — sweet potato — don't confuse them.

noun
tomato
Measure word · 只

Examples

  • 西红柿。
    Wǒ mǎi le sān zhī xī hóng shì.
    I bought three tomatoes.
  • 西红柿。
    Zhè ge xī hóng shì chǎo jī dàn hěn hǎo chī.
    These tomatoes scrambled with eggs are delicious.
  • 西红柿？
    xī hóng shì Shì shū cài hái shì shuǐ guǒ?
    Is a tomato a vegetable or a fruit?

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.

西xīWestern
红柿red persimmon
红hóngred柿shìpersimmon
偏正Modifier + head

西 (Western) plus 红柿 (red persimmon) names the tomato.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 西 →

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

This origin belongs to the traditional form 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
糸糸mìsilk
Sound part声符shēngfú
工
工gōng紅hóng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Open 红 →

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
木木mù
Sound part声符shēngfú
𠂔
𠂔𠂔柿shì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

柿 pairs 木, a tree, with a sound component; the older form 柹 used 𠂔, while the current form uses 市.

Open 柿 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 4HSK 2.0 Level 4Vegetables

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