檬 (méng) - Lemon — refers to the lemon fruit and & also used in words related to citrus fruits

檬Tone 2

méng ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

檬 · méng

Lemon — refers to the lemon fruit and tree;

also used in words related to citrus fruits and sometimes metaphorically for something sour or refreshing.

Lemon — refers to the lemon fruit andalso used in words related to citrus fruits

Usage highlights

LemonLemon treeLemon juiceLemon teaLemon flavorLemon yellow

Synonyms

  • 柠檬— lemon (the full term)
  • 柑橘— citrus (broader category)

Antonyms

  • 甜— sweet (opposite of lemon's sour taste)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I like to drink lemon water (柠檬水).
  • This cake has lemon flavor (柠檬味).
  • Lemon tea is very refreshing (柠檬茶).
  • She grows lemon trees in her garden (柠檬树).

Collocations

  • Lemon(柠檬)
  • Lemon tree(柠檬树)
  • Lemon juice(柠檬汁)
  • Lemon tea(柠檬茶)
  • Lemon flavor(柠檬味)
  • Lemon yellow(柠檬黄)

Idioms

  • Sour as a lemon(酸如柠檬)
  • Lemon-colored smile(柠檬色的微笑)
  • Life gives you lemons(生活给你柠檬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Lemons were introduced to China relatively late compared to native citrus fruits.
  • In modern Chinese culture, lemons symbolize freshness, cleanliness and sometimes sourness.
  • Lemon yellow is a recognized color name in Chinese.
  • The character 檬 is almost exclusively used in the word 柠檬 (lemon).

FAQ