三明治

sānmíngzhì
noun HSK 6 #2,175

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 sandwich (loanword)

Characters

A phonetic transliteration of English 'sandwich.' The characters are chosen purely for sound.

Examples

Wǒ zǎocān chī le yīgè sānmíngzhì.
I had a sandwich for breakfast.
Nǐ xiǎng yào shénme kǒuwèi de sānmíngzhì?
What flavor sandwich would you like?
Zhèjiā diàn de sānmíngzhì hěn hǎochī.
The sandwiches at this shop are delicious.

Tips

history
三明治 is a phonetic loanword (transliteration) from English 'sandwich,' which itself comes from the Earl of Sandwich. The Chinese characters have no meaningful connection to the food — they just approximate the sound.
usage
Other food loanwords: 汉堡 (hànbǎo, hamburger), 沙拉 (shālā, salad), 巧克力 (qiǎokèlì, chocolate), 咖啡 (kāfēi, coffee).

Stroke Order

sān
míng
zhì