When talking about duck as food, you will almost always use the word 鸭肉 (yāròu), which directly translates to “duck meat.” This is similar to how we say “chicken meat” (鸡肉 - jīròu) or “pork” (猪肉 - zhūròu) in Chinese. You’ll hear 鸭肉 in many contexts, from ordering at a restaurant to discussing ingredients for a recipe. For example, if you want to order Peking duck, you would ask for 北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā), where 鸭 specifically refers to duck meat.
When talking about duck as food, you use the word 鸭肉 (yāròu), which literally means 'duck meat.' It's a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine, often roasted or stir-fried.
You might hear it in the context of famous dishes like Peking duck, which is 北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā). Remember that 鸭 (yā) on its own usually refers to the live animal, the duck.
When talking about duck as food, you use the word 鸭肉 (yāròu), which literally translates to "duck meat." This is similar to how we say "chicken meat" (鸡肉, jīròu) or "pork" (猪肉, zhūròu).
For example, if you're ordering Peking duck, you'd be asking for 北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā), where 鸭 refers to the duck itself, and the dish is understood to be made with duck meat. So, 鸭肉 specifies the meat component.
§ Basic Sentences with 鸭肉
Let's get straight to it. 鸭肉 (yāròu) means 'duck meat'. It's a noun, so you'll often use it like any other food item. You can eat it, buy it, or talk about its taste.
我喜欢吃鸭肉。
- Translation hint
- I like to eat duck meat.
This is a very common and direct way to use it. Remember, 喜欢 (xǐhuān) means 'to like', and 吃 (chī) means 'to eat'.
这道菜没有鸭肉。
- Translation hint
- This dish doesn't have duck meat.
§ Describing 鸭肉
You can use adjectives before 鸭肉 to describe it, just like in English.
这家的烤鸭肉很有名。
- Translation hint
- This restaurant's roast duck meat is very famous.
Here, 烤 (kǎo) means 'roasted'. When you combine it with 鸭肉, it often refers to 'roast duck'.
新鲜的鸭肉在哪里买？
- Translation hint
- Where can I buy fresh duck meat?
§ Using 量词 (liàngcí) with 鸭肉
When you're talking about quantities of 鸭肉, you'll need to use a measure word, also known as a classifier. The most common one for general pieces or portions of food is 块 (kuài).
一块鸭肉 (yī kuài yāròu) - a piece of duck meat
两块鸭肉 (liǎng kuài yāròu) - two pieces of duck meat
请给我三块鸭肉。
- Translation hint
- Please give me three pieces of duck meat.
If you're talking about a whole duck, you'd use 只 (zhī).
我们点了一只烤鸭肉。
- Translation hint
- We ordered a whole roast duck (meat).
§ Common Phrases with 鸭肉
Here are some practical phrases you'll hear and use often:
北京烤鸭肉 (Běijīng kǎoyāròu) - Beijing roast duck meat (Peking duck)
啤酒鸭肉 (píjiǔ yāròu) - Beer duck meat (a dish)
我最喜欢吃北京烤鸭肉。
- Translation hint
- I like to eat Beijing roast duck meat the most.
Remember to practice these sentences out loud. The more you use 鸭肉 in different contexts, the more natural it will feel.
Alright, let's talk about meat in Chinese. Specifically, when to use 鸭肉 (yāròu) and how it fits in with other common words for meat. This isn't rocket science, but understanding the basics will help you order food and talk about what you're eating without sounding like a total newbie.
§ What is 鸭肉 (yāròu)?
- DEFINITION
- Duck meat.
Pretty straightforward, right? 鸭 (yā) means 'duck' and 肉 (ròu) means 'meat'. Put them together, and you've got duck meat.
我喜欢吃烤鸭肉。(Wǒ xǐhuān chī kǎo yāròu.) — I like to eat roasted duck meat.
这道菜的鸭肉很嫩。(Zhè dào cài de yāròu hěn nèn.) — The duck meat in this dish is very tender.
§ The Generic Meat Word: 肉 (ròu)
The most common word for 'meat' in Chinese is simply 肉 (ròu). When you use 肉 (ròu) by itself, it usually implies pork, especially in everyday conversations in mainland China. This is because pork is by far the most consumed meat there. If you're not specifying, most people will assume you mean pork.
多吃点肉。(Duō chī diǎn ròu.) — Eat more meat (likely pork).
§ How to Specify Other Meats
To be clear about what kind of meat you're talking about, you generally put the animal's name before 肉 (ròu).
- 猪肉 (zhūròu) - Pork: This is the specific term for pork. 猪 (zhū) is 'pig'.
我不太喜欢吃肥的猪肉。(Wǒ bù tài xǐhuān chī féi de zhūròu.) — I don't really like to eat fatty pork.
- 牛肉 (niúròu) - Beef: 🐮 牛 (niú) is 'cow' or 'ox'.
他只吃牛肉，不吃猪肉。(Tā zhǐ chī niúròu, bù chī zhūròu.) — He only eats beef, not pork.
- 鸡肉 (jīròu) - Chicken meat: 🐔 鸡 (jī) is 'chicken'.
炸鸡肉很好吃。(Zhà jīròu hěn hǎochī.) — Fried chicken meat is very delicious.
- 羊肉 (yángròu) - Lamb/Mutton: 🐑 羊 (yáng) covers both 'sheep' and 'goat'.
冬天吃羊肉火锅很暖和。(Dōngtiān chī yángròu huǒguō hěn nuǎnhuo.) — Eating lamb hotpot in winter is very warm.
§ When to use just the animal name?
Sometimes, you can drop the 肉 (ròu) and just use the animal's name if it's clear from context that you're talking about the meat. This is more common with certain animals or in specific dishes.
- 鸭 (yā): Often, when ordering dishes like Peking Duck (北京烤鸭 - Běijīng kǎoyā), you just say 烤鸭 (kǎoyā). It's implied you're eating the duck's meat.
我们去吃烤鸭吧！(Wǒmen qù chī kǎo yā ba!) — Let's go eat roast duck!
- 鸡 (jī): For dishes like 白斩鸡 (báizhǎnjī - poached chicken), it's just 鸡.
§ Summary Table for Meat Vocabulary
Here’s a quick overview to keep things straight:
- 肉 (ròu): Generic 'meat', often implies pork.
- 猪肉 (zhūròu): Pork (specific).
- 牛肉 (niúròu): Beef.
- 鸡肉 (jīròu): Chicken meat.
- 鸭肉 (yāròu): Duck meat.
- 羊肉 (yángròu): Lamb/Mutton.
So, when you want to talk about duck meat, stick with 鸭肉 (yāròu). If you're ordering a specific duck dish where the meat is the focus, sometimes just 鸭 (yā) is enough. Don't overthink it, just practice using these words and you'll get comfortable quickly.
Pronunciation Guide
- confusing 'ya' with 'yeah'
- not pronouncing 'rou' distinctly
Examples by Level
我喜欢吃烤鸭。
I like to eat roast duck (duck meat).
喜欢 (xǐ huān) means 'like', 吃 (chī) means 'eat', 烤鸭 (kǎo yā) means 'roast duck'.
这道菜有鸭肉吗？
Does this dish have duck meat?
这 (zhè) means 'this', 道菜 (dào cài) is a classifier for dishes and 'dish', 有 (yǒu) means 'have', 吗 (ma) is a question particle.
我想点一份鸭肉面。
I want to order a portion of duck meat noodles.
想 (xiǎng) means 'want', 点 (diǎn) means 'order', 一份 (yī fèn) is 'one portion', 面 (miàn) means 'noodles'.
鸭肉很好吃。
Duck meat is very delicious.
很 (hěn) means 'very', 好吃 (hǎo chī) means 'delicious'.
他不喜欢吃鸭肉。
He doesn't like to eat duck meat.
他 (tā) means 'he', 不喜欢 (bù xǐ huān) means 'dislike'.
今天我们吃鸭肉。
Today we eat duck meat.
今天 (jīn tiān) means 'today', 我们 (wǒ men) means 'we'.
这家的鸭肉很香。
This restaurant's duck meat is very fragrant (tasty).
这 (zhè) means 'this', 家 (jiā) refers to 'restaurant' here, 香 (xiāng) means 'fragrant' or 'tasty'.
请给我多一点鸭肉。
Please give me a little more duck meat.
请 (qǐng) means 'please', 给 (gěi) means 'give', 我 (wǒ) means 'me', 多一点 (duō yī diǎn) means 'a little more'.
我喜欢吃烤鸭肉。
I like to eat roast duck meat.
这道菜里有鸭肉和蔬菜。
This dish has duck meat and vegetables.
他不喜欢鸭肉的味道。
He doesn't like the taste of duck meat.
我们今晚吃鸭肉面条吧。
Let's eat duck meat noodles tonight.
这家餐厅的鸭肉很有名。
This restaurant's duck meat is very famous.
请给我一份鸭肉饭。
Please give me a duck meat rice.
她正在学习如何烹饪鸭肉。
She is learning how to cook duck meat.
鸭肉是中国的传统美食。
Duck meat is a traditional Chinese delicacy.
烤鸭是中国一道著名的传统菜肴，以其酥脆的皮和鲜嫩的鸭肉而闻名。
Roast duck is a famous traditional Chinese dish, known for its crispy skin and tender duck meat.
我最喜欢吃鸭肉，无论是烤的、炖的还是炒的都很好吃。
I love eating duck meat the most, whether it's roasted, stewed, or stir-fried, it's all delicious.
这家餐厅的特色菜是啤酒鸭，鸭肉做得非常入味。
The specialty of this restaurant is beer duck, and the duck meat is very flavorful.
为了保持身材，她通常会选择更健康的白肉，而不是鸭肉。
To stay in shape, she usually chooses healthier white meat instead of duck meat.
这道菜的秘诀在于鸭肉的腌制，需要提前几个小时进行。
The secret to this dish lies in marinating the duck meat, which needs to be done several hours in advance.
在制作鸭肉卷饼时，要确保鸭肉切得足够细，方便食用。
When making duck meat wraps, make sure the duck meat is cut finely enough for easy eating.
虽然鸭肉脂肪含量较高，但适量食用对身体还是有益的。
Although duck meat has a higher fat content, consuming it in moderation is still beneficial for the body.
他对外婆做的鸭肉粉丝汤情有独钟，每次回家都要吃一大碗。
He has a special fondness for the duck meat vermicelli soup his grandma makes; every time he goes home, he eats a big bowl.
烤鸭是北京的特色菜，你一定要尝尝。
Roast duck is a specialty dish in Beijing, you must try it.
这道菜用鸭肉和蔬菜一起炒。
This dish is stir-fried with duck meat and vegetables.
鸭肉的蛋白质含量很高。
Duck meat has a high protein content.
我更喜欢鸭肉的口感，比鸡肉更香。
I prefer the texture of duck meat, it's more fragrant than chicken.
这家餐厅的鸭肉做得非常地道。
This restaurant's duck meat is made very authentically.
为了健康，我尽量少吃油炸鸭肉。
For health, I try to eat less fried duck meat.
你喜欢吃清炖鸭肉还是红烧鸭肉？
Do you prefer braised duck meat or stewed duck meat?
我们家年夜饭一定会准备鸭肉。
Our family's New Year's Eve dinner will definitely include duck meat.
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questions鸭肉 (yāròu) means 'duck meat'. It's a common ingredient in Chinese cuisine.
You say 'duck meat' as 鸭肉 (yāròu). The first character 鸭 (yā) means 'duck', and 肉 (ròu) means 'meat'.
Certainly! Here's an example:
我喜欢吃北京烤鸭，那个鸭肉很好吃。
(Wǒ xǐhuān chī Běijīng kǎoyā, nàgè yāròu hěn hào chī.)
This means: I like to eat Peking duck, that duck meat is delicious.
No, not at all! While Peking duck is very famous, 鸭肉 (yāròu) is used in many other dishes too, like duck soup (鸭肉汤 - yāròutāng) or stir-fried duck.
鸭 (yā) is the animal, the duck. 鸭肉 (yāròu) specifically refers to the meat of the duck. So, you wouldn't say 'I want to eat a 鸭' if you mean the meat, you'd say 'I want to eat 鸭肉'.
Yes, 鸭肉 (yāròu) is very common and popular in China. It's enjoyed in many different regional cuisines.
鸭 (yā) is pronounced with a first tone, a high flat tone. 肉 (ròu) is pronounced with a fourth tone, a falling tone. So, yā-ròu.
Yes, 鸭肉 (yāròu) is a general term for duck meat, regardless of the breed of duck or how it's prepared.
The price of 鸭肉 (yāròu) can vary. A whole Peking duck can be more expensive, but other duck dishes can be quite affordable, similar to chicken or pork.
Good question! Here are a few:
猪肉 (zhūròu) - pork
鸡肉 (jīròu) - chicken meat
牛肉 (niúròu) - beef
羊肉 (yángròu) - lamb/mutton
Test Yourself 12 questions
Write a short sentence saying 'I like to eat duck meat.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
我喜欢吃鸭肉。
Translate 'Do you eat duck meat?' into Chinese.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
你吃鸭肉吗？
Write a sentence: 'She doesn't like duck meat.'
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
她不喜欢鸭肉。
这篇文章里提到了什么食物？
Read this passage:
我喜欢吃烤鸭。烤鸭是北京很有名的菜。烤鸭很好吃，但是有点贵。我想再吃烤鸭。
这篇文章里提到了什么食物？
文章中明确提到了“烤鸭”，烤鸭就是鸭肉。
文章中明确提到了“烤鸭”，烤鸭就是鸭肉。
B喜欢吃什么？
Read this passage:
A: 你喜欢吃什么肉？ B: 我喜欢吃鸡肉和鸭肉。 A: 哦，我也喜欢鸭肉。
B喜欢吃什么？
B回答说“我喜欢吃鸡肉和鸭肉”。
B回答说“我喜欢吃鸡肉和鸭肉”。
这家饭店的鸭肉怎么样？
Read this passage:
这家饭店的鸭肉很好吃。很多人都来这里吃鸭肉。他们的鸭肉很新鲜。
这家饭店的鸭肉怎么样？
文章中说“这家饭店的鸭肉很好吃”。
文章中说“这家饭店的鸭肉很好吃”。
The speaker is describing Peking Duck.
The speaker is discussing the health aspects of duck meat.
The speaker is talking about the quality of the duck meat used in a dish.
Read this aloud:
我想点一份烤鸭，再来一碗鸭肉粥。
Focus: yā ròu
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
这家的啤酒鸭味道很地道，鸭肉炖得很烂。
Focus: yā ròu
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我个人觉得鸭肉比鸡肉更有嚼劲。
Focus: yā ròu
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
/ 12 correct
Perfect score!
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More food words
一两
B1Fifty grams; a Chinese unit of weight (approx. 50g).
一斤
B1Half a kilogram; a Chinese unit of weight (approx. 500g).
一袋
B1A bag of.
少一点儿
A2A bit less.
多一点儿
A2A bit more.
一口
B1A mouthful; a bite; a small amount (of food or drink).
一瓶
B1A bottle of.
一碗
B1Measure word for a bowl of food.
一盒
B1A box of.
一杯
B1Measure word for a cup of liquid.
