Names of Fruit and Vegetable in Chinese with Pinyin Pronunciation

In this post I provide the Chinese words for common fruit and vegetables as well as the classifiers (measure words) that you should use. I recommend you learn the names of popular fruit and vegetables, but committing to memory the Chinese names of fruit could be, well, fruitless.

What is a classifier in Chinese?

A classifier, sometimes called a measure word, is the counting word you use before an item and is less common in English than Chinese. For example in English we would say “three cans of beer”, where “can” is the classifier; you could just say “three beers” and drop “cans” entirely, however in Chinese a classifier is always used.

To take an example with apples, in English saying “three apples” is correct and normal, however in Chinese you can’t say 三sān苹píng果guǒ (sān píngguǒ), literally “three apple”, you have to instead say 三sān颗kē苹píng果guǒ (sān kē píngguǒ), literally “three units of apple”. Here 颗kē (kē) is a classifier used for spherical objects, like beans, or potatoes. Many items can use more than one measure word, so in the case apple you can also use 个gè (gè), the sentence then becomes 三sān个gè苹píng果guǒ (sān gè píngguǒ).

If you want to know more about classifiers, check out my post on Chinese Classifiers: What are they and how to use them as well as my complete list of Mandarin Chinese classifiers and measure words.

Which measure word should I use when referring to fruit?

Generally you can get away with using 个 (gè) when referring to most fruit, however there are better classifiers that will make you sound more fluent.

Common Chinese classifiers for fruit and vegetables are:

• 个gè (gè) is a generic classifier that can be used with many items, so if in doubt and you don’t know which classifier to use, just use 个gè
• 根gēn (gēn) is a classifier for long slender objects and is can be used for fruit and vegetables such as bananas and celery, for example 两liǎng根gēn香xiāng蕉jiāo (liǎng gēn xiāngjiāo) “two <units of> banana”
• 颗kē (kē) is a classifier used for small round objects such as potatoes, for example 一yī颗kē土tǔ豆dòu (yī kē tǔdòu) “one <unit of> potato”
• 朵duǒ (duǒ) is a classifier used for flowers, example 一yī朵duǒ花huā (yī duǒ huā) “one <unit of> flower”
• 串chuàn (chuàn) is a classifier used for bunches of things such as grapes, for example 一yī串chuàn香xiāng蕉jiāo (yī chuàn xiāngjiāo) “a bunch of grapes”
• 堆duī (duī) is a classifier used for a stack of things, similar to 串, for example 一yī堆duī草cǎo莓méi (yī duī cǎoméi) “a bunch of strawberries” or 一yī堆duī樱yīng桃táo (yī duī yīngtáo) “a bunch of strawberries”
• [rax say=”束”] (shù) is a classifier used for bunches, for example 一yī束shù花huā (yī shù huā) “a bunch of flowers”
• 把bǎ (bǎ) is a classifer for bunches and can also be used for flowers, for example 一yī把bǎ花huā (yī bǎ huā) “a bunch of flowers”

List of Fruit and Vegetable Names in Chinese

English	Chinese	Pinyin Pronunciation
Alfalfa Sprouts	苜mù蓿xu芽yá	mùxu yá
Apple	苹píng果guǒ	píngguǒ
Apricot	杏xìng子zi	xìngzi
Artichoke	洋yáng蓟jì	yáng jì
Asian Pear	沙shā梨lí / 苹píng果guǒ梨lí	shālí/ píngguǒ lí
Asparagus	芦lú笋sǔn	lúsǔn
Avocado	鳄è梨lí	è lí
Bamboo Shoots	竹zhú笋sǔn	zhúsǔn
Banana	香xiāng蕉jiāo	xiāngjiāo
Bean Sprouts	豆dòu芽yá	dòuyá
Beans	豆dòu子zi	dòuzi
Beetroot	甜tián菜cài / 甜tián菜cài根gēn	tiáncài/ tiáncài gēn
Belgian Endive	比Bǐ利lì时shí菊jú苣jù / 比Bǐ利lì时shí白bái菜cài	bǐlìshí jújù/ bǐlìshí báicài
Bell Peppers	柿shì子zi椒jiāo	shìzijiāo
Bitter Melon	苦kǔ瓜guā	kǔguā
Blackberry	黑hēi莓méi	hēiméi
Blueberries	蓝lán莓méi	lánméi
Blueberry	蓝lán莓méi	lánméi
Bok Choy / Chinese Cabbage	白bái菜cài	báicài
Boysenberry	波bō森sēn莓méi	bō sēn méi
Bread fruit	面miàn包bāo果guǒ	miànbāo guǒ
Broccoli	西xī兰lán花huā	xī lán huā
Brussels Sprouts	芽yá甘gān蓝lán	yá gānlán
Cabbage (Western variety)	洋yáng白bái菜cài / 包bāo心xīn菜cài	yángbáicài/ bāoxīncài
Cactus Pear	仙xiān人rén掌zhǎng果guǒ	xiānrénzhǎng guǒ
Cantaloupe (Honeydew)	哈hā密mì瓜guā	hāmìguā
Carrots	萝luó卜bo	luóbo
Cauliflower	菜cài花huā	càihuā
Celery	芹qín菜cài	qíncài
Chayote / Alligator Pear	佛fó手shǒu瓜guā	fóshǒu guā
Cherimoya (Soursop, Custard Apple)	番fān荔lì枝zhī	fān lìzhī
Cherries	樱yīng桃táo	yīngtáo
Chocolate-Fruit	巧qiǎo克kè力lì水shuǐ果guǒ	qiǎokèlì shuǐguǒ
Coconuts	椰yē子zi	yēzi
Corn	玉yù米mǐ	yùmǐ
Cranberries	蔓mán越yuè莓méi / 小xiǎo红hóng莓méi	màn yuè méi/ xiǎo hóng méi
Cucumber	黄huáng瓜guā	huángguā
Currants	醋cù栗lì	cù lì
Dates	海hǎi枣zǎo	hǎi zǎo
Dried Plums	干gàn李lǐ子zi	gàn lǐzǐ
Durian	榴liú莲lián	liúlián
Eggplant	茄qié子zi	qiézi
Eggplant	茄qié子zi	qiézi
Elderberry	接jiē骨gǔ木mù果guǒ	jiēgǔ mù guǒ
Feijoa	斐Fěi济jì果guǒ	fěijì guǒ
Fennel	茴huí香xiāng	huíxiāng
Fig	无wú花huā果guǒ	wúhuāguǒ
Flower	花huā	huā
Garlic	大dà蒜suàn	dàsuàn
Gooseberry	醋cù栗lì	cù lì
Grape	葡pú萄tao	pútáo
Grapefruit	葡pú萄táo柚yòu	pútáo yòu
Green Beans	绿lǜ豆dòu	lǜdòu
Green Onions	绿lǜ洋yáng葱cōng	lǜ yángcōng
Greens	青qīng菜cài	qīngcài
Guava	番fān石shí榴liu	fān shíliú
Honeydew melon	哈hā密mì瓜guā	hāmìguā
Horned melon	刺cì角jiǎo瓜guā	cì jiǎo guā
Iceberg Lettuce	冰bīng山shān莴wō苣jù	bīngshān wōjù
Jerusalem Artichoke	洋yáng姜jiāng	yáng jiāng
Jicama / Yam Bean	豆dòu薯shǔ	dòu shǔ
Jujubes	枣zǎo子zi	zǎozi
Kale	羽yǔ衣yī甘gān蓝lán	yǔyī gānlán
Kiwi Fruit (Chinese Gooseberry)	猕mí猴hóu桃táo	míhóutáo
Kohlrabi	苤piě蓝lan	piě lán
Kumquat	金jīn橘jú	jīn jú
Leeks	韭jiǔ菜cài	jiǔcài
Lemon	柠níng檬méng	níngméng
Lettuce	生shēng菜cài	shēngcài
Lima Beans	利Lì马mǎ豆dòu	lì mǎ dòu
Lime	酸suān橙chéng	suān chéng
Longan	龙lóng眼yǎn	lóngyǎn
Loquat	枇pí杷pa	pípá
Lychee	荔lì枝zhī	lìzhī
Madarins (Tangerine)	橘jú子zi	júzi
Malanga	马Mǎ兰lán加jiā / 黄huáng块kuài茎jīng	mǎlán jiā/ huáng kuàijīng
Mango	芒máng果guǒ	mángguǒ
Mangosteen	山shān竹zhú	shānzhú
Mulberry	桑sāng葚shèn	sāngrèn
Mushrooms	蘑mó菇gu	mógū
Muskmelon (Cantaloupe)	甜tián瓜guā	tiánguā
Nectarines	油yóu桃táo	yóu táo
Okra	秋qiū葵kuí	qiū kuí
Olive	橄gǎn榄lǎn	gǎnlǎn
Onion	洋yáng葱cōng	yángcōng
Orange	橙chéng子zi	chéngzi
Papaya	番fān木mù瓜guā	fān mùguā
Parsnip	防fáng风fēng草cǎo	fángfēng cǎo
Passion fruit	百bǎi香xiāng果guǒ / 鸡jī蛋dàn果guǒ	bǎixiāng guǒ/ jīdàn guǒ
Peaches	桃táo子zi	táozi
Pears	梨lí	lí
Peas	豌wān豆dòu	wāndòu
Peppers	胡hú椒jiāo	hújiāo
Persimmon	柿shì子zi	shìzi
Pineapple	菠bō萝luó	bōluó
Plum	李lǐ子zi	lǐzǐ
Pomegranate	石shí榴liu	shíliú
Potatoes	土tǔ豆dòu	tǔdòu
Prickly Pear	仙xiān人rén掌zhǎng果guǒ	xiānrénzhǎng guǒ
Prunes	梅méi干gàn	méigān
Pummelo	文wén旦dàn	wéndàn
Pumpkin	南nán瓜guā	nánguā
Quince	榅wēn桲bó	wēn po
Radishes	白bái萝luó卜bo	bái luóbo
Raisins	葡pú萄tao干gān	pútáogān
Rambutan	红hóng毛máo丹dān	hóng máo dān
Raspberries	山shān莓méi	shān méi
Red Cabbage	紫zǐ甘gān蓝lán	zǐ gānlán
Rhubarb	大dà黄huáng	dàhuáng
Romaine Lettuce	罗Luó马mǎ生shēng菜cài	luómǎ shēngcài
Rose Apple	莲lián雾wù	lián wù
Rutabaga	芜wú菁jīng甘gān蓝lán	wú jīng gānlán
Shallots	青qīng葱cōng	qīngcōng
Snow Peas	荷hé兰lán豆dòu	hélándòu
Spinach	菠bō菜cài	bōcài
Sprouts	豆dòu芽yá	dòuyá
Squash	壁bì球qiú	bìqiú
Starfruit / Carambola	杨yáng桃táo	yángtáo
Strawberry	草cǎo莓méi	cǎoméi
String Beans	四sì季jì豆dòu	sìjì dòu
Sweet Potato	甘gān薯shǔ	gānshǔ
Tamarind	罗Luó望wàng子zi / 酸suān豆dòu	luó wàngzǐ/ suān dòu
Tangelo	桔jú柚yòu	jú yòu
Tangerine	橘jú子zi	júzi
Tomatillo	粘zhān果guǒ酸suān浆jiāng	zhān guǒ suān jiāng
Tomato	番fān茄qié	fānqié
Turnip	芜wú菁jīng	wú jīng
Ugli Fruit	柚yòu橘jú	yòu jú
Water Chestnuts	荸bí荠qí	bíjì
Watercress	西xī洋yáng菜cài	xīyáng cài
Watermelon	西xī瓜guā	xīguā
Yams	山shān芋yù / 山shān药yao	shānyù/ shānyào
Yellow Squash	黄huáng南nán瓜guā	huáng nánguā
Yuca/Cassava	木mù薯shǔ	mùshǔ
Zucchini	夏xià南nán瓜guā	xià nánguā

Conclusion

They key to learning any language is to internalise a word, to take ownership of it. What this means is that memorising the names of fifty fruit and vegetables is not really that useful, instead you should select the names of a few common fruit you’d like to learn, and learn how to say those with the appropriate classifier. If you aren’t in a Chinese speaking country, try talk to yourself in the supermarket and don’t worry about their odd looks you might get. Before long the Chinese word for the common fruit and vegetables you have learned will come naturally and you won’t me mentally translating in your head, at which point choose a few more that you are likely to use and repeat the process.

If you need help with getting started check out my post on how to start learning Chinese as well as my list of recommended learning resources.