荤 (hūn) - Meat-based foods & strong-smelling vegetables like garlic and onions
荤 · hūn
Meat-based foods;
strong-smelling vegetables like garlic and onions;
vulgar, obscene.
Meat-based foodsstrong-smelling vegetables like garlic and onionsvulgar, obscene.
Usage highlights
Meat dishesMeat and vegetarianStrongMeat eaterMeat and fishVulgar joke
Usage & contexts
Examples
- He doesn't eat meat (不吃荤).
- This dish contains garlic (有荤腥).
- The restaurant serves both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food (荤素搭配).
- Avoid strong-smelling vegetables before meditation (打坐前不吃荤).
Collocations
- Meat dishes(荤菜)
- Meat and vegetarian(荤素)
- Strong-smelling vegetables(五荤)
- Meat eater(吃荤的)
- Meat and fish(荤腥)
- Vulgar joke(荤段子)
Idioms
- Not distinguishing between meat and vegetarian(不荤不素)
- Half meat half vegetarian(半荤半素)
Cultural background
FAQ- In Buddhist tradition, '荤' originally referred to pungent vegetables (garlic, onions, etc.) believed to disturb meditation, later extended to meat.
- In Chinese dietary culture, '荤素搭配' (balancing meat and vegetables) is considered important for health.
- In modern usage, '荤' can describe risqué or vulgar content, especially in '荤段子' (dirty jokes).