A2 noun Neutral #7,500 most common 1 min read

荤菜

huncai /xuən tsʰaɪ/

荤菜 represents any dish containing meat, serving as the counterpart to vegetarian dishes in Chinese culinary terminology.

Word in 30 Seconds

  • Refers to dishes made with meat or animal products.
  • Commonly used to contrast with vegetarian dishes (素菜).
  • Essential for describing balanced meals in Chinese dining culture.

常见语境:在家庭聚餐、餐厅点餐或食堂配餐时,荤菜出现的频率极高。例如,当人们讨论健康饮食时,会建议多吃素菜,少吃油腻的荤菜;或者在庆祝节日时,人们会准备丰盛的荤菜来招待客人。

  1. 1近义词辨析:与“肉菜”相比,“荤菜”的范围略广,有时在特定宗教文化(如佛教)中,它还包含葱、蒜、韭菜等“五荤”。但在现代日常生活中,它几乎等同于“肉食类菜肴”。与“荤腥”相比,“荤菜”更侧重于指代具体的菜品,而“荤腥”则侧重于肉类的气味或属性。

Examples

1

今天的午饭有两个荤菜,一个素菜。

everyday

There are two meat dishes and one vegetable dish for lunch today.

2

医生建议他减少荤菜的摄入,多吃蔬菜水果。

formal

The doctor advised him to reduce his intake of meat dishes and eat more vegetables and fruits.

Common Collocations

荤素搭配 Balanced diet of meat and vegetables
点荤菜 Order meat dishes

Common Phrases

荤素搭配

Balanced combination of meat and vegetables

Often Confused With

荤菜 vs 素菜

素菜 refers to vegetarian dishes made without any meat or animal products, serving as the direct opposite of 荤菜.

Grammar Patterns

荤素搭配 做荤菜 吃荤菜

How to Use It

Usage Notes

The term is neutral in register and used in both casual and formal settings. It is most frequently encountered when discussing menus or nutrition. It is not considered derogatory but simply descriptive.


Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse '荤菜' with '荤腥'. While '荤菜' refers to the dish, '荤腥' often carries a connotation of the strong smell of meat or fish, which can be negative.

Tips

💡

Use for dietary balance

When discussing nutrition, use '荤素搭配' (hūn sù dā pèi) to describe a balanced diet containing both meat and vegetables.

⚠️

Religious dietary restrictions

Be aware that for devout Buddhists, '荤' may include pungent vegetables like garlic and onions, not just meat.

🌍

Dining etiquette

In Chinese culture, serving a variety of '荤菜' is often seen as a sign of hospitality and respect for guests.

Word Origin

The character '荤' originally referred to pungent herbs, but historically evolved to cover all non-vegetarian foods in the Chinese culinary context.

Cultural Context

In Chinese dining, the concept of '荤素搭配' is fundamental to health. A meal is rarely considered complete without at least one meat dish.

Memory Tip

Think of '荤' (hūn) as 'meat-heavy' and '素' (sù) as 'vegetarian-simple'. A balanced diet is the combination of both.

Frequently Asked Questions

3 questions

在现代日常生活中,鸡蛋通常被视为荤菜或动物性食物,但在某些素食主义者的定义中,蛋奶素食者可以食用。

“荤”字原指某些气味浓烈的植物,后来在饮食习惯中演变为指代肉类食品,以区分于清淡的素食。

两者基本可以互换,但“荤菜”的使用范围更广泛,常用于强调饮食搭配的平衡,而“肉菜”更直接地指含有肉类的菜。

Test Yourself

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为了保证营养均衡,我们吃饭时应该注意荤素___。

Correct! Not quite. Correct answer: 搭配

荤素搭配是描述饮食平衡的固定用法。

Score: /1

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