三明治

sānmíngzhì

noun HSK 6 #2,175

Measure Word

一个三明治 gè

Meanings

1 sandwich (loanword)

Characters

to govern; to cure

A phonetic transliteration of English 'sandwich.' The characters are chosen purely for sound.

Examples

我早餐吃了一个三明治。

Wǒ zǎocān chī le yī gè sān míng zhì.

I had a sandwich for breakfast.

你想要什么口味的三明治？

Nǐ xiǎng yào shénme kǒuwèi de sān míng zhì?

What flavor sandwich would you like?

这家店的三明治很好吃。

Zhè jiā diàn de sān míng zhì hěn hǎochī.

The sandwiches at this shop are delicious.

Tips

history

三明治 is a phonetic loanword (transliteration) from English 'sandwich,' which itself comes from the Earl of Sandwich. The Chinese characters have no meaningful connection to the food — they just approximate the sound.

usage

Other food loanwords: 汉堡 (hànbǎo, hamburger), 沙拉 (shālā, salad), 巧克力 (qiǎokèlì, chocolate), 咖啡 (kāfēi, coffee).

Stroke Order

三 sān

明 míng

治 zhì