空心菜

kōngxīncài

noun

Measure Word

一把空心菜 bǎ

Meanings

1 water spinach
2 morning glory (the leafy vegetable)
3 ong choy

Characters

Examples

蒜蓉空心菜是广东人夏天最爱的家常菜。

Suànróng kōngxīncài shì Guǎngdōng rén xiàtiān zuì ài de jiācháng cài.

Garlic water spinach is Cantonese people's favorite home dish in summer.

空心菜的茎是空的，所以叫这个名字。

Kōngxīncài de jīng shì kōng de, suǒyǐ jiào zhège míngzì.

Water spinach has a hollow stem, which is how it got its name.

Tips

memory

空 (hollow) + 心 (heart/core) + 菜 (vegetable) = 'hollow-stemmed vegetable'. The name is literally a description of the plant.

culture

Also called 蕹菜 (wèngcài) in formal/southern contexts. Popular across southern China and Southeast Asia; stir-fried with garlic or fermented bean curd.

Stroke Order

空 kōng

心 xīn

菜 cài