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蔥 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
蔥cōngscallions, leeks, green onionsx, 15 strokes, radical 艹
cōng(cong1) T1
  1. 1scallions, leeks, green onions
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

蔥cōng(cong1)

蔥 (cōng) refers to scallions or green onions, which are commonly used in Chinese cuisine for their mild flavor and aromatic properties. They are often used in salads, stir-fries, and as garnishes, enhancing the taste and presentation of dishes.

Strokes15Radical艹
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, scallions are a staple ingredient, often used in dishes like scallion pancakes (蔥油餅) and as a key flavor component in broths and sauces. Their presence in meals symbolizes freshness and is prominent in numerous regional dishes.

Memory Tip

Think of 蔥 (cōng) as a green plant with a long, slender body. Imagine a 'song' (sounds like cōng) that the scallions sing in the kitchen, adding flavor to every dish they touch. The character features the radical for plants (艹) at the top, signaling its botanical nature.

Meanings of 蔥

cōng(cong1)
1scallions, leeks, green onions
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 蔥

蔥Simplified
15Strokes
艹Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 蔥

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Podcast: 蔥

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 蔥

Quick Contrast

葱 (cōng) refers to scallions or green onions, while 韭菜 (jiǔcài) refers to chives; choose 蔥 when referring specifically to scallions rather than the more pungent chives.

Usage Notes

Avoid confusing 蔥 with similar-looking characters like 葱 (cōng), which is a variant of the same word. This term is informal and widely used in everyday conversation and cooking contexts. Remember that the tone is crucial; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

HSK Study Tips

蔥 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, but it connects to other food-related words like 魚 (yú, fish) and 菜 (cài, vegetables) at the beginner level. Focus on pronunciation and usage in cooking contexts to reinforce vocabulary retention.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 蔥 (cōng) with other similar vegetables like 蒜 (suàn, garlic) or 辣椒 (làjiāo, chili pepper). For example, saying '我喜欢蒜' (wǒ xǐhuān suàn) instead of '我喜欢蔥' (wǒ xǐhuān cōng) can lead to misunderstandings.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 蔥

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Etymology of 蔥

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Memory Hint

grass

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)悤
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 蔥

  1. 1The meaning half艹 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half悤 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrass
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 蔥? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 蔥?

Decomposition of 蔥

IDS Structure⿱艹悤
蔥Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
悤cong1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 蔥?

How to say scallions, leeks, green onions in Chinese

“scallions, leeks, green onions” in Chinese is蔥cōng

蔥 (cōng) refers to scallions or green onions, which are commonly used in Chinese cuisine for their mild flavor and aromatic properties. They are often used in salads, stir-fries, and as garnishes, enhancing the taste and presentation of dishes.

When to use 蔥

Avoid confusing 蔥 with similar-looking characters like 葱 (cōng), which is a variant of the same word. This term is informal and widely used in everyday conversation and cooking contexts. Remember that the tone is crucial; using the wrong tone can change the meaning entirely.

蔥 or something close to it

葱 (cōng) refers to scallions or green onions, while 韭菜 (jiǔcài) refers to chives; choose 蔥 when referring specifically to scallions rather than the more pungent chives.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 蔥 (cōng) with other similar vegetables like 蒜 (suàn, garlic) or 辣椒 (làjiāo, chili pepper). For example, saying '我喜欢蒜' (wǒ xǐhuān suàn) instead of '我喜欢蔥' (wǒ xǐhuān cōng) can lead to misunderstandings.

Write 蔥

蔥

Practice writing 蔥 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 蔥

Words Containing This Character17
洋葱bulb onion洋蔥
葱cōngscallion蔥
大葱leek大蔥
葱花chopped onion蔥花
青葱scallion青蔥
郁郁葱葱verdant and lush (idiom)鬱鬱蔥蔥
小葱shallot小蔥
葱郁verdant蔥鬱
葱茏verdant and lush蔥蘢
葱头onion蔥頭
葱绿verdant蔥綠
葱葱verdant and thick (foliage, grass etc)蔥蔥
葱岭old name for the Pamir high plateau 帕米爾高原|帕米尔高原[Pà​mǐ​'ěr​Gāo​yuán] on the border between Xinjiang and Tajikistan蔥嶺
葱翠fresh green蔥翠
倒栽葱to fall headlong倒栽蔥
葱黄yellow green蔥黃
细香葱chive細香蔥
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 洋葱 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 蔥

In Chinese, both terms refer to 蔥 (cōng), but scallions are typically the more mature version with a stronger flavor, while green onions may refer to younger, milder ones.

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