菜 (cài) - Vegetable & dish

菜Tone 4

cài ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

偲嫦

菜 · cài

Vegetable;

dish;

food;

cuisine;

greens;

also used to describe something amateurish or poor quality.

Vegetabledishfood

Usage highlights

Vegetable marketChinese cuisineVegetable gardenMenuVegetable dishHome cooking

Synonyms

  • 蔬菜— vegetables (general term)
  • 菜肴— dishes (formal term for cooked food)

Antonyms

  • 肉— meat (opposite of vegetable in food context)
  • 高手— expert (opposite of 菜鸟/amateur)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I bought fresh vegetables at the market (买菜).
  • This restaurant serves delicious Chinese food (中国菜).
  • She is a vegetarian who eats only vegetables (吃素菜).
  • He cooked a special dish for dinner (做了一道菜).

Collocations

  • Vegetable market(菜市场)
  • Chinese cuisine(中国菜)
  • Vegetable garden(菜园)
  • Menu(菜单)
  • Vegetable dish(蔬菜)
  • Home cooking(家常菜)

Idioms

  • Seeing flowers while riding a horse(走马看花)
  • Small potatoes(小菜一碟)
  • Buy vegetables and cook rice(买菜做饭)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, vegetables are essential to daily meals and represent health and balance.
  • The term '菜鸟' (cài niǎo) literally 'vegetable bird' is slang for novice or amateur.
  • Regional cuisines in China are often categorized by their distinctive '菜系' (cuisine styles).

FAQ