海参 (hǎishēn): sea cucumber

Measure Word

一只海参 zhī

Hǎishēn shì hěn míngguì de hǎixiān.

Sea cucumber is a very valuable seafood.

Tā měitiān zǎoshang chī yì zhī hǎishēn.

He eats one sea cucumber every morning.

culture

海参 is one of the "Four Treasures of the Sea" (海味四宝: 鲍鱼, 海参, 鱼翅, 鱼肚) in Chinese cuisine, traditionally considered a tonic food and a banquet luxury.

mistakes

参 has multiple readings. It's shēn here (and in 人参 ginseng), but cān in 参加 (participate) and cēn in 参差 (uneven).

海 hǎi

参 cān