pīnyīn 
pin1yin1 
ㄓㄨㄧㄣ 
 
simplified 
traditional 
 
菜 
菜 
cai4 
 
 
dish (type of food); vegetable; cuisine; (coll.) (one's) type; (of one's skills etc) weak; poor 
 
strokes 
11 
 
radical 
 
 
strokes after radical 
8 
 
A菜 
A菜 
- cai4 
 
 
(Tw) lettuce (from Taiwanese 萵仔菜, POJ pr. ) 
白菜 
白菜 
bai2 cai4 
 
 
Chinese cabbage; pak choi 
白菜豆 
白菜豆 
bai2 cai4 dou4 
 
 
white kidney beans 
白菜价 
白菜價 
bai2 cai4 jia4 
 
 
lit. cabbage price; low price 
白屈菜 
白屈菜 
bai2 qu1 cai4 
 
 
greater celandine 
包菜 
包菜 
bao1 cai4 
 
 
cabbage 
包心菜 
包心菜 
bao1 xin1 cai4 
 
 
cabbage 
宝塔菜 
寶塔菜 
bao3 ta3 cai4 
 
 
Chinese artichoke; Stachys sieboldii 
本帮菜 
本幫菜 
ben3 bang1 cai4 
 
 
Shanghainese food 
菠菜 
菠菜 
bo1 cai4 
 
 
spinach 
菜板 
菜板 
cai4 ban3 
 
 
chopping board; cutting board 
菜包子 
菜包子 
cai4 bao1 zi5 
 
 
steamed bun stuffed with vegetables; (fig.) useless person; a good-for-nothing 
菜场 
菜場 
cai4 chang3 
 
 
food market 
菜单 
菜單 
cai4 dan1 
 
 
menu 
菜单栏 
菜單欄 
cai4 dan1 lan2 
 
 
menu bar (computing) 
菜单条 
菜單條 
cai4 dan1 tiao2 
 
 
menu bar (of a computer application) 
菜刀 
菜刀 
cai4 dao1 
 
 
vegetable knife; kitchen knife; cleaver 
菜地 
菜地 
cai4 di4 
 
 
vegetable field 
菜豆 
菜豆 
cai4 dou4 
 
 
kidney bean 
菜墩子 
菜墩子 
cai4 dun1 zi5 
 
 
chopping board 
菜瓜 
菜瓜 
cai4 gua1 
 
 
snake melon; loofah 
菜馆 
菜館 
cai4 guan3 
 
 
(dialect) restaurant 
菜花 
菜花 
cai4 hua1 
 
 
cauliflower; gonorrhea 
菜篮子 
菜籃子 
cai4 lan2 zi5 
 
 
vegetable or food basket; (fig.) food supply 
菜鸟 
菜鳥 
cai4 niao3 
 
 
(coll.) sb new to a particular subject; rookie; beginner; newbie 
菜牛 
菜牛 
cai4 niu2 
 
 
beef cattle (grown for meat) 
菜农 
菜農 
cai4 nong2 
 
 
vegetable farmer 
菜脯 
菜脯 
cai4 pu2 
 
 
dried, pickled white radish 
菜圃 
菜圃 
cai4 pu3 
 
 
vegetable field; vegetable bed 
菜谱 
菜譜 
cai4 pu3 
 
 
menu (in restaurant); recipe; cookbook 
菜畦 
菜畦 
cai4 qi2 
 
 
vegetable field; vegetable bed 
菜茹 
菜茹 
cai4 ru2 
 
 
greens; green vegetables 
菜色 
菜色 
cai4 se4 
 
 
dish; lean and hungry look (resulting from vegetarian diet); emaciated look (from malnutrition) 
菜市 
菜市 
cai4 shi4 
 
 
food market 
菜式 
菜式 
cai4 shi4 
 
 
dish (food prepared according to a specific recipe) 
菜市场 
菜市場 
cai4 shi4 chang3 
 
 
food market 
菜蔬 
菜蔬 
cai4 shu1 
 
 
greens; vegetables; vegetable side dish 
菜头 
菜頭 
cai4 tou2 
 
 
(Tw) turnip; radish 
菜心 
菜心 
cai4 xin1 
 
 
choy sum; Chinese flowering cabbage; stem of any Chinese cabbage 
菜肴 
菜餚 
cai4 yao2 
 
 
vegetable and meat dishes; dish 
菜油 
菜油 
cai4 you2 
 
 
rapeseed oil; canola oil 
菜园 
菜園 
cai4 yuan2 
 
 
vegetable garden 
菜籽 
菜籽 
cai4 zi3 
 
 
vegetable seeds; rapeseed 
蚕菜 
蠶菜 
can2 cai4 
 
 
Malabar spinach; Basella alba 
炒菠菜 
炒菠菜 
chao3 bo1 cai4 
 
 
stir-fried spinach 
炒菜 
炒菜 
chao3 cai4 
 
 
to stir-fry; to do the cooking; stir-fried dish 
川菜 
川菜 
chuan1 cai4 
 
 
Sichuan or Szechuan cuisine 
莼菜 
蒓菜 
chun2 cai4 
 
 
Brasenia schreberi 
莼菜 
蓴菜 
chun2 cai4 
 
 
Brasenia schreberi 
大白菜 
大白菜 
da4 bai2 cai4 
 
 
bok choy; Chinese cabbage; Brassica pekinensis 
德国酸菜 
德國酸菜 
de2 guo2 suan1 cai4 
 
 
sauerkraut 
点菜 
點菜 
dian3 cai4 
 
 
to order dishes (in a restaurant) 
冬菜 
冬菜 
dong1 cai4 
 
 
preserved dried cabbage or mustard greens 
豆瓣菜 
豆瓣菜 
dou4 ban4 cai4 
 
 
watercress (Nasturtium officinale) 
豆芽菜 
豆芽菜 
dou4 ya2 cai4 
 
 
bean sprouts 
端菜 
端菜 
duan1 cai4 
 
 
to serve food 
发菜 
髮菜 
fa4 cai4 
 
 
long thread moss (Nostoc flagelliforme), an edible algae; also called faat choy or hair moss 
番菜 
番菜 
fan1 cai4 
 
 
(old) Western-style food; foreign food 
饭菜 
飯菜 
fan4 cai4 
 
 
food 
盖菜 
蓋菜 
gai4 cai4 
 
 
leaf mustard 
干菜 
乾菜 
gan1 cai4 
 
 
dried vegetable 
甘蓝菜 
甘藍菜 
gan1 lan2 cai4 
 
 
cabbage 
高丽菜 
高麗菜 
gao1 li2 cai4 
 
 
cabbage; Taiwan pr.  
格兰菜 
格蘭菜 
ge2 lan2 cai4 
 
 
see 芥藍|芥蓝 
瓜菜 
瓜菜 
gua1 cai4 
 
 
fruit and vegetables 
国菜 
國菜 
guo2 cai4 
 
 
national food specialty 
韩国泡菜 
韓國泡菜 
han2 guo2 pao4 cai4 
 
 
kimchi; Korean pickled cabbage 
红菜头 
紅菜頭 
hong2 cai4 tou2 
 
 
beet; beetroot; (dialect) carrot 
红牛皮菜 
紅牛皮菜 
hong2 niu2 pi2 cai4 
 
 
chard (Beta vulgaris), a foliage beet 
红头菜 
紅頭菜 
hong2 tou2 cai4 
 
 
beetroot 
花菜 
花菜 
hua1 cai4 
 
 
cauliflower 
花椰菜 
花椰菜 
hua1 ye1 cai4 
 
 
cauliflower 
皇帝菜 
皇帝菜 
huang2 di4 cai4 
 
 
see 茼蒿 
黄花菜 
黃花菜 
huang2 hua1 cai4 
 
 
citron daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Baroni); golden needles (edible flower) 
黄花菜都凉了 
黃花菜都涼了 
huang2 hua1 cai4 dou1 liang2 le5 
 
 
lit. the dishes are cold (idiom); fig. to arrive late; to take one's sweet time 
徽菜 
徽菜 
hui1 cai4 
 
 
Anhui cuisine 
灰菜 
灰菜 
hui1 cai4 
 
 
fat hen (Chenopodium album), edible annual plant 
荤菜 
葷菜 
hun1 cai4 
 
 
non-vegetarian dish (including meat, fish, garlic, onion etc) 
蕺菜 
蕺菜 
ji2 cai4 
 
 
Houttuynia cordata 
荠菜 
薺菜 
ji4 cai4 
 
 
shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris) 
家常菜 
家常菜 
jia1 chang2 cai4 
 
 
home cooking 
家乡菜 
家鄉菜 
jia1 xiang1 cai4 
 
 
regional dish; local cuisine 
捡到篮里就是菜 
撿到籃裡就是菜 
jian3 dao4 lan2 li3 jiu4 shi4 cai4 
 
 
all is grist that comes to the mill (idiom) 
芥菜 
芥菜 
jie4 cai4 
 
 
leaf mustard (Brassica juncea); also pr.  
芥菜籽 
芥菜籽 
jie4 cai4 zi3 
 
 
mustard seed 
金针菜 
金針菜 
jin1 zhen1 cai4 
 
 
day lily (Hemerocallis), used in Chinese medicine and cuisine 
堇菜 
堇菜 
jin3 cai4 
 
 
violet (botany) 
酒菜 
酒菜 
jiu3 cai4 
 
 
food and drink; food to accompany wine 
韭菜 
韭菜 
jiu3 cai4 
 
 
garlic chives; Chinese chives; Chinese leek 
韭菜花 
韭菜花 
jiu3 cai4 hua1 
 
 
chives (Allium tuberosum) 
苣荬菜 
苣蕒菜 
ju4 mai3 cai4 
 
 
endive; field sow-thistle; Sonchus brachyotus 
卷心菜 
捲心菜 
juan3 xin1 cai4 
 
 
variant of 卷心菜 
卷心菜 
卷心菜 
juan3 xin1 cai4 
 
 
cabbage 
蕨菜 
蕨菜 
jue2 cai4 
 
 
fiddlehead; edible fern fronds 
开胃菜 
開胃菜 
kai1 wei4 cai4 
 
 
starter; appetizer 
看菜吃饭 
看菜吃飯 
kan1 cai4 chi1 fan4 
 
 
to eat depending on the dish (idiom); fig. to act according to actual circumstances; to live within one's means 
看菜吃饭,量体裁衣 
看菜吃飯,量體裁衣 
kan1 cai4 chi1 fan4 - liang2 ti3 cai2 yi1 
 
 
eat depending on the dish, cut cloth according to the body (idiom); to fit the appetite to the dishes and the dress to the figure; to act according to actual circumstances; to live within one's means 
看人下菜碟儿 
看人下菜碟兒 
kan4 ren2 xia4 cai4 die2 er5 
 
 
(dialect) to treat sb according to their social status, relationship with them etc (idiom); not to treat everyone equally favorably 
空心菜 
空心菜 
kong1 xin1 cai4 
 
 
see 蕹菜 
苦菜花 
苦菜花 
ku3 cai4 hua1 
 
 
Bitter Cauliflower, 1954 socialist realist novel by Feng Deying 馮德英|冯德英 loosely based on Maxim Gorky's Mother, made into a 1967 film by Li Ang 
苦荬菜 
苦蕒菜 
ku3 mai3 cai4 
 
 
Ixeris denticulata 
老虎菜 
老虎菜 
lao3 hu3 cai4 
 
 
"Tiger Vegetable Salad," Northeast China dish usually consisting of hot pepper, cucumber, cilantro and leek 
冷菜 
冷菜 
leng3 cai4 
 
 
cold dish; cold food 
龙须菜 
龍鬚菜 
long2 xu1 cai4 
 
 
asparagus; (Taiwan) young shoots of the chayote vine 佛手瓜 
鲁菜 
魯菜 
lu3 cai4 
 
 
Shandong cuisine 
卤菜 
滷菜 
lu3 cai4 
 
 
pot-stewed dish 
萝卜白菜,各有所爱 
蘿蔔白菜,各有所愛 
luo2 bo5 bai2 cai4 - ge4 you3 suo3 ai4 
 
 
one man's meat is another man's poison (idiom); to each his own 
萝卜青菜,各有所爱 
蘿蔔青菜,各有所愛 
luo2 bo5 qing1 cai4 - ge4 you3 suo3 ai4 
 
 
see 蘿蔔白菜,各有所愛|萝卜白菜,各有所爱 
绿菜花 
綠菜花 
lv4 cai4 hua1 
 
 
broccoli 
绿花菜 
綠花菜 
lv4 hua1 cai4 
 
 
broccoli 
绿花椰菜 
綠花椰菜 
lv4 hua1 ye1 cai4 
 
 
broccoli 
面有菜色 
面有菜色 
mian4 you3 cai4 se4 
 
 
to look famished 
闽菜 
閩菜 
min3 cai4 
 
 
Fujian cuisine 
名菜 
名菜 
ming2 cai4 
 
 
famous dishes; specialty dishes 
拿手菜 
拿手菜 
na2 shou3 cai4 
 
 
specialty (dish) 
奶油菜花 
奶油菜花 
nai3 you2 cai4 hua1 
 
 
creamed cauliflower 
凝花菜 
凝花菜 
ning2 hua1 cai4 
 
 
gelidiella, tropical and sub-tropical red algae 
牛皮菜 
牛皮菜 
niu2 pi2 cai4 
 
 
chard (Beta vulgaris), a foliage beet 
泡菜 
泡菜 
pao4 cai4 
 
 
pickled cabbage 
蒲菜 
蒲菜 
pu2 cai4 
 
 
edible rhizome of cattail 香蒲 
麒麟菜 
麒麟菜 
qi2 lin2 cai4 
 
 
eucheuma, a type of red algae (used in TCM) 
芹菜 
芹菜 
qin2 cai4 
 
 
celery (Apium graveolens) 
青菜 
青菜 
qing1 cai4 
 
 
green vegetables; Chinese cabbage 
青花菜 
青花菜 
qing1 hua1 cai4 
 
 
broccoli 
青花椰菜 
青花椰菜 
qing1 hua1 ye1 cai4 
 
 
broccoli 
青江菜 
青江菜 
qing1 jiang1 cai4 
 
 
bok choy; Shanghai pak choy; Chinese mustard (Brassica rapa Chinensis) 
秋菜 
秋菜 
qiu1 cai4 
 
 
autumn vegetables 
裙带菜 
裙帶菜 
qun2 dai4 cai4 
 
 
wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), an edible seaweed 
山嵛菜 
山嵛菜 
shan1 yu2 cai4 
 
 
variant of 山萮菜 
山萮菜 
山萮菜 
shan1 yu2 cai4 
 
 
wasabi (Eutrema wasabi Maxim), a kind of fern used in Japanese cooking 
上菜 
上菜 
shang4 cai4 
 
 
to serve, also to put on plate 
上海白菜 
上海白菜 
shang4 hai3 bai2 cai4 
 
 
baby bok choy; Shanghai bok choy 
上下文菜单 
上下文菜單 
shang4 xia4 wen2 cai4 dan1 
 
 
context menu (computing) 
烧菜 
燒菜 
shao1 cai4 
 
 
to cook 
生菜 
生菜 
sheng1 cai4 
 
 
lettuce; raw fresh vegetables; greens 
剩菜 
剩菜 
sheng4 cai4 
 
 
leftovers (food) 
什菜 
什菜 
shi2 cai4 
 
 
mixed vegetables 
时菜 
時菜 
shi2 cai4 
 
 
seasonal vegetable 
石花菜 
石花菜 
shi2 hua1 cai4 
 
 
seaweed (Gelidium amansii); Japanese Isinglass 
蔬菜 
蔬菜 
shu1 cai4 
 
 
vegetables; produce 
熟菜 
熟菜 
shu2 cai4 
 
 
cooked food (ready to eat) 
水蕹菜 
水蕹菜 
shui3 weng4 cai4 
 
 
water spinach or ong choy (Ipomoea aquatica), used as a vegetable in south China and southeast Asia 
苏菜 
蘇菜 
su1 cai4 
 
 
Jiangsu cuisine 
素菜 
素菜 
su4 cai4 
 
 
vegetable dish 
酸菜 
酸菜 
suan1 cai4 
 
 
pickled vegetables, especially Chinese cabbage 
塌棵菜 
塌棵菜 
ta1 ke1 cai4 
 
 
Brassica narinosa (broadbeaked mustard); Chinese flat cabbage 
台菜 
台菜 
tai2 cai4 
 
 
Taiwanese food 
摊黄菜 
攤黃菜 
tan1 huang2 cai4 
 
 
(dialect) scrambled eggs 
特价菜 
特價菜 
te4 jia4 cai4 
 
 
restaurant special; daily special 
藤菜 
藤菜 
teng2 cai4 
 
 
see 蕹菜 
菾菜 
菾菜 
tian2 cai4 
 
 
variant of 甜菜 
甜菜 
甜菜 
tian2 cai4 
 
 
beet; beetroot 
通菜 
通菜 
tong1 cai4 
 
 
see 蕹菜 
通心菜 
通心菜 
tong1 xin1 cai4 
 
 
see 蕹菜 
娃娃菜 
娃娃菜 
wa2 wa5 cai4 
 
 
baby Chinese cabbage (mini-sized variety) 
蓊菜 
蓊菜 
weng3 cai4 
 
 
see 蕹菜 
蕹菜 
蕹菜 
weng4 cai4 
 
 
water spinach; ong choy; swamp cabbage; water convolvulus; water morning-glory; Ipomoea aquatica (botany) 
瓮菜 
甕菜 
weng4 cai4 
 
 
variant of 蕹菜 
乌塌菜 
烏塌菜 
wu1 ta1 cai4 
 
 
rosette bok choy (Brassica rapa var. rosularis) 
西洋菜 
西洋菜 
xi1 yang2 cai4 
 
 
watercress (Nasturtium officinale) 
下酒菜 
下酒菜 
xia4 jiu3 cai4 
 
 
a dish that goes well with alcoholic drinks 
鲜菜 
鮮菜 
xian1 cai4 
 
 
fresh vegetable 
咸菜 
鹹菜 
xian2 cai4 
 
 
salted vegetables; pickles 
苋菜 
莧菜 
xian4 cai4 
 
 
amaranth greens (genus Amaranthus); Chinese spinach (Amaranth mangostanus) 
香菜 
香菜 
xiang1 cai4 
 
 
coriander; cilantro; Coriandrum sativum 
湘菜 
湘菜 
xiang1 cai4 
 
 
Hunan cuisine 
香菜叶 
香菜葉 
xiang1 cai4 ye4 
 
 
coriander leaf 
小白菜 
小白菜 
xiao3 bai2 cai4 
 
 
bok choy; Chinese cabbage; Brassica chinensis 
小菜 
小菜 
xiao3 cai4 
 
 
appetizer; small side dish; easy job; piece of cake; see also 小菜一碟 
小菜碟儿 
小菜碟兒 
xiao3 cai4 die2 er5 
 
 
erhua variant of 小菜一碟 
小菜儿 
小菜兒 
xiao3 cai4 er5 
 
 
erhua variant of 小菜 
小菜一碟 
小菜一碟 
xiao3 cai4 yi1 die2 
 
 
a small appetizer; a piece of cake; very easy (idiom) 
歇菜 
歇菜 
xie1 cai4 
 
 
Stop it! (Beijing and Internet slang); Game over!; You're dead! 
荇菜 
荇菜 
xing4 cai4 
 
 
yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltatum) 
洋白菜 
洋白菜 
yang2 bai2 cai4 
 
 
cabbage (round cabbage most commonly found in Western countries) 
扬菜 
揚菜 
yang2 cai4 
 
 
Jiangsu cuisine 
洋菜 
洋菜 
yang2 cai4 
 
 
agar 
洋香菜 
洋香菜 
yang2 xiang1 cai4 
 
 
parsley 
椰菜 
椰菜 
ye1 cai4 
 
 
cabbage; broccoli; cauliflower 
椰菜花 
椰菜花 
ye1 cai4 hua1 
 
 
cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) 
野菜 
野菜 
ye3 cai4 
 
 
wild herb; potherb 
油菜 
油菜 
you2 cai4 
 
 
oilseed rape (Brassica napus); flowering edible rape (Brassica chinensis var. oleifera) 
油菜籽 
油菜籽 
you2 cai4 zi3 
 
 
oilseed rape (Brassica campestris); rapeseed; coleseed 
油麦菜 
油麥菜 
you2 mai4 cai4 
 
 
Indian lettuce 
莜麦菜 
莜麥菜 
you2 mai4 cai4 
 
 
variant of 油麥菜|油麦菜 
鱼生火,肉生痰,青菜豆腐保平安 
魚生火,肉生痰,青菜豆腐保平安 
yu2 sheng1 huo3 - rou4 sheng1 tan2 - qing1 cai4 dou4 fu5 bao3 ping2 an1 
 
 
fish brings heat, meat brings phlegm, vegetables and tofu keep you healthy 
圆白菜 
圓白菜 
yuan2 bai2 cai4 
 
 
round white cabbage (i.e. Western cabbage) 
粤菜 
粵菜 
yue4 cai4 
 
 
Cantonese cuisine 
榨菜 
榨菜 
zha4 cai4 
 
 
hot pickled mustard tuber 
择菜 
擇菜 
zhai2 cai4 
 
 
to pick the edible part of vegetables 
招牌菜 
招牌菜 
zhao1 pai2 cai4 
 
 
signature dish; a restaurant’s most famous dish 
浙菜 
浙菜 
zhe4 cai4 
 
 
Zhejiang cuisine 
中国菜 
中國菜 
zhong1 guo2 cai4 
 
 
Chinese cuisine 
主菜 
主菜 
zhu3 cai4 
 
 
main course 
紫菜 
紫菜 
zi3 cai4 
 
 
flavored roasted seaweed; generic term for edible seaweed; Japanese: nori 
紫菜包饭 
紫菜包飯 
zi3 cai4 bao1 fan4 
 
 
gimbap (Korean rice roll similar in appearance to sushi); kimbap 
紫菜属 
紫菜屬 
zi3 cai4 shu3 
 
 
Porphyra (genus of edible seaweed) 
紫菜苔 
紫菜苔 
zi3 cai4 tai2 
 
 
purple cabbage; Brassica campestris var. purpurea 
做菜 
做菜 
zuo4 cai4 
 
 
to cook; cooking