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小菜

xiǎocài
noun #9,872

Measure Word

一碟小菜 dié

Meanings

  1. 1 side dish; small dish
  2. 2 a piece of cake; easy task (figurative)

Examples

HSK 2
上海人爱吃小菜。
Shànghǎi rén ài chī xiǎocài.
People from Shanghai love eating side dishes.
HSK 5
再来几碟小菜。
Zài lái jǐ dié xiǎocài.
Let's order a few more side dishes.
HSK 5
这对他来说是小菜一碟。
Zhè duì tā láishuō shì xiǎocài yī dié.
This is a piece of cake for him.

Tips

usage
小菜一碟 literally 'one dish of side dishes' is the Chinese equivalent of 'a piece of cake' - something effortlessly easy.
culture
In Shanghai dialect, 小菜 means any dish or food in general, not just side dishes. Asking 今天吃什么小菜 means 'what's for dinner tonight'.

Stroke Order

小 xiǎo
菜 cài