空心菜

kōngxīncài
noun

Measure Word

Meanings

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

Examples

HSK 7-9
Suànróng kōngxīncài shì Guǎngdōng rén xiàtiān zuì ài de jiāchángcài.
Garlic water spinach is Cantonese people's favorite home dish in summer.
HSK 7-9
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
(hollow) + (heart/core) + (vegetable) = 'hollow-stemmed vegetable'. The name is literally a description of the plant.
culture
Also called 蕹菜 in formal/southern contexts. Popular across southern China and Southeast Asia; stir-fried with garlic or fermented bean curd.

Stroke Order

kōng
xīn
cài