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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

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

Tips

usage
小菜一碟 (xiǎocài yī dié) 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