荠 (jì) - Shepherd's purse — a common edible wild plant & also refers to water chestnut in some contexts.

荠Tone 4

jì ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

慧佳

荠 · jì

Shepherd's purse — a common edible wild plant;

also refers to water chestnut in some contexts.

Shepherd's purse — a common edible wild plantalso refers to water chestnut in some contexts.

Usage highlights

Shepherd's purseWater chestnutShepherd's purse dumplingsShepherd's purse soupWild shepherd's purseShepherd's purse flowers

Synonyms

  • 荠菜— Shepherd's purse (the common name)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We gathered shepherd's purse in the field (荠菜).
  • Water chestnut is used in Chinese cooking (荸荠).
  • This dish contains shepherd's purse (荠菜饺子).
  • The plant has small white flowers (荠菜花).

Collocations

  • Shepherd's purse(荠菜)
  • Water chestnut(荸荠)
  • Shepherd's purse dumplings(荠菜饺子)
  • Shepherd's purse soup(荠菜汤)
  • Wild shepherd's purse(野生荠菜)
  • Shepherd's purse flowers(荠菜花)

Idioms

  • Sweet as shepherd's purse(甘之如荠)
  • Three-day shepherd's purse(三日荠)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Shepherd's purse has been foraged as food in China for millennia, mentioned in ancient texts.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, it is considered cooling and is used to clear heat and stop bleeding.
  • The plant symbolizes resilience as it grows in poor conditions and is one of the first greens in spring.

FAQ