海胆 (hǎidǎn) · sea urchin

Measure Word

一只海胆 zhī

Meanings

1 sea urchin

About the ingredient

水产 Fish and seafood

Only the soft orange-yellow gonads, sold as roe, are eaten. Japanese restaurants serve them raw as sushi and sashimi; Chinese cooks also stir them into fried rice.

Characters

gall bladder; courage

Examples

HSK 6

在海边，小心不要踩到海胆。

Zài hǎibiān, xiǎoxīn búyào cǎi dào hǎidǎn.

At the beach, be careful not to step on sea urchins.

HSK 7-9

海胆是一种常见的海鲜，日本料理中很受欢迎。

Hǎidǎn shì yì zhǒng chángjiàn de hǎixiān, Rìběn liàolǐ zhōng hěn shòu huānyíng.

Sea urchin is a common seafood, popular in Japanese cuisine.

Tips

memory

海 means sea and 胆 means gall bladder - because the rounded, spiky shape of a sea urchin was thought to resemble a gall bladder. It's a vivid anatomical metaphor from the ocean floor.