冬瓜

dōngguā
noun #27,818

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 wax gourd; winter melon (Benincasa hispida)
  2. 2 white gourd

Examples

Dōngguā páigǔ tāng shì xiàtiān jiě shǔ de hǎo xuǎnzé.
Wax gourd and spare rib soup is a great choice for relieving summer heat.
Tā mǎile yī gè dà dōngguā, zhǔnbèi dùn tāng.
She bought a large wax gourd to make a braised soup.

Tips

culture
Despite the name 冬瓜 (winter melon), this vegetable is actually harvested in late summer and autumn. The name refers to the white frost-like wax on its surface, resembling winter frost — not its harvest season. It's widely used in Chinese soups and stir-fries.
memory
= winter, = melon/gourd. It looks like it's wearing a winter coat of white wax — that's where the name comes from.

Stroke Order

dōng
guā