Fruits in Chinese, Vocabulary and Infographic

 

Who doesn’t love fruit?! Everyone loves it! But how do you say these different fruits in Mandarin Chinese? We have listed more than 30 fruits in the infographic below. We include names of fruits in Mandarin Chinese, Pinyin, English and in pictures.

Chinese fruit

Fruit-related Vocabulary in Chinese

Before learning the whole list of fruits, let’s start with some fruit-related vocabulary:

Fruit 水果 shuǐguǒ

Tropical fruits 热带水果 rèdài shuǐguǒ

Imported fruits 进口水果 jìnkǒu shuǐguǒ

Sour 酸 suān

Sweet 甜 tián

Taste 味道 wèidào

Color 颜色 yánsè

 

Fruits in Chinese List

苹果 píngguǒ, Apple

apple

莲雾 lián wù, Wax apple

wax apple

Wax apples

The picture was taken in Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

草莓 cǎoméi, Strawberry

strawberry

覆盆子 fù pénzi, Raspberry 

raspberry

樱桃 yīngtáo, Cherry

cherry

西瓜 xīguā, Watermelon

watermelon

火龙果 huǒlóng guǒ, Dragon fruit

dragon fruit

Dragon fruit

We also made a video to show what dragon fruit looks like when you cut it open.

葡萄柚 pútáo yòu, Grapefruit

grapefruit

杏 xìng, Apricot

apricot

菠萝 bōluó, Pineapple

*凤梨 fènglí

* In mainland China, it is called: 菠萝 bōluó.

In Taiwan, it is called: 凤梨 fènglí

But both of them can be understood in both places.

pineapple

桃子 táozi, Peach

peach

橙子 chéngzi, Orange

orange

柿子 shìzi, Persimmon

persimmon

哈密瓜 hāmìguā, Cantaloupe

cantaloupe

柠檬 níngméng, Lemon

lemon

木瓜 mùguā, Papaya

papaya

芒果 mángguǒ, Mengo

mango

香蕉 xiāngjiāo, Banana

banana

梨 lí, Pear

pear

莱姆 lái mǔ, Lime

lime

青苹果 qīng píngguǒ, Green apple

green apple

牛油果 niúyóuguǒ, Avocado

**酪梨 lào lí

** In mainland China, it is called: 牛油果 niúyóuguǒ.

 In Taiwan, it is called: 酪梨 lào lí

The name “牛油果 niúyóuguǒ” is not that popular in Taiwan. Avocados are not a fruit that you can easily find in the market. And when you do, it is quite expensive in Taiwan. 

avocado

猕猴桃 Míhóutáo, Kiwi

***奇异果 qíyì guǒ

***In mainland China, it is called: 猕猴桃 Míhóutáo.

In Taiwan, it is called: 奇异果 qíyì guǒ

kiwi

 

山竹 shānzhú, Mangosteen

mangosteen

百香果 bǎixiāng guǒ, Passion fruit

passion fruit

李子 lǐzǐ, Plum

plum

无花果 wúhuāguǒ, Fig

fig

葡萄 pútáo, Grape

grape

蓝莓 lánméi, Blueberry

blueberry

黑莓 hēiméi, Blackberry

blackberry

Fruits in Chinese Infographic

Fruits in Chinese Infographic

Fruits in Chinese Video

 

 

Chinese Exotic Fruits

Most of the fruits we listed above are pretty common, but some are pretty unique that you rarely find in grocery stores in the States. For instance, “山竹 shānzhú, mangosteen,” “火龙果 huǒlóng guǒ, dragon fruit,” and “莲雾 lián wù, wax apple.” We list a few more Chinese exotic fruits and have a brief introduction for each of them. I hope one day you will have a chance to enjoy them. But in the meantime, let’s get to know some Chinese fruits!

 

龙眼 lóngyǎn, Longan

The Chinese name of longan literally means dragon eye. Longan is a tropical fruit. The skin color of the longan is brown and it is not edible. Since it is a tropical fruit, it is not easy to grow in the climate of most areas in the States. The fruit is sweet and juicy. The color of the fruit is white and slightly clear. The seed is in the middle and is round with a dark brown/black color. 

 

荔枝 lìzhī, Lychee

Lychee is similar to longan, and is really sweet. It is also a tropical fruit. The size is a bit bigger than a longan. The skin color is usually dark red, although if it is picked before it is ripe, its skin color might be a mix with a bit of green and red. Its seed is smaller than a longan, and its shape is not round but oval.

 

释迦 shì jiā, Sugar Apple 

释迦 shì jiā is literally the shortened name of Buddha. The reason they name this fruit “释迦 shì jiā” is because of this shape. Its shape looks like a Buddha’s head. See the picture below.

释迦 shì jiā, Sugar Apple

释迦 shì jiā is a high-carb fruit, as you can tell from its English name. It is a very sweet fruit. It contains many seeds in one fruit.

We made you a video to show you how 释迦 shì jiā looks like when you open it! Check out this video

 

There is another new kind of fruit called, Cherinoia “凤梨释迦 fènglí shì jiā.”  凤梨 fènglí is pineapple. It looks a bit different from the original one, and the bumps are not as big and round. The fun fact about this fruit is that it is not a mix of sugar apple and pineapple. The name is actually from the shape. The fruit is a cross between Annona cherimola and Annona squamosa. The taste is not as sweet as sugar apples. 

 

This is what Cherinoia “凤梨释迦 fènglí shì jiā” looks like. As you can see from the picture below, the shape is a bit different from 释迦 shì jiā.

凤梨释迦 fènglí shì jiā sugar apple

 

杨桃 yángtáo, Star Fruit / Carambola

The tree of this fruit is cultivated throughout tropical areas. The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides. The entire fruit is edible and it is usually eaten out of your hand. Star fruit juice is a popular street drink in Taiwan. In the United States, carambolas are grown in tropical and semitropical areas, including Texas, South Carolina, Louisiana, California, Virginia, Florida, and Hawaii. The color of the fruit is usually yellow or green.

 

番石榴 fān shíliú / 芭乐 bā lè, Guava

Guavas usually have light green skin with either a white or red color inside. You can see the pictures below. The skin is edible, there is no need to peel it. There are seeds in the center, and the center is usually softer and sweeter. Some people do not like the seeds so they will cut and shape the guavas in a crescent-shape. The size of a guava fruit is about the size of a baseball. 

Guavas are not usually as sweet as longans and lychees. But Guavas are rich in dietary fiber and vitamin C, with moderate levels of folic acid, and low in calories for a typical serving. 
Guavas

 

This is what guava looks like when you cut it open

 

榴莲 (líulián) Durian

To be honest, as a fruit lover, I have only tried durian ONCE. From many people I know and from what I’ve heard, people who try durians either love it a lot or never try it again. 

The shape of the durian fruit ranges from oblong to round, the color of its husk from green to brown, and its flesh from pale yellow to red, depending on the species. Durian has a strong and unique odor. Some people find it unpleasant, while others think it is a pleasantly sweet fragrance.

The durian fruit is ready to eat when its husk begins to crack. The fruit can grow up to a size of about 12 inches. 

 

2 comments

    1. Karen

      Hi Christine,
      Pomegranate in Chinese is 石榴 shíliú, or some people also call it as 番石榴 fān shíliú / 红石榴 hóng shíliú 🙂

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