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茄 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
茄jiāeggplantn, 8 strokes, radical 艹, rank #15250, Hard
茄jiāphonetic character used in loanwords for the sound "jia", although 夹 is more commonunknown, 8 strokes, radical 艹, rank #15250, Hard
茄qiéeggplantn, 8 strokes, radical 艹, rank #15250, Hard
茄qiéphonetic character used in loanwords for the sound "jia", although 夹 is more commonunknown, 8 strokes, radical 艹, rank #15250, Hard
jiā(jia1)
primary
 T1
  1. 1eggplant
  2. 2phonetic character used in loanwords for the sound "jia", although 夹 is more common
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
茄jiā(jia1)

The character 茄 (jiā) primarily means 'eggplant,' a common vegetable in Chinese cuisine. It is often used in dishes such as stir-fries and braises. Additionally, it can serve as a phonetic character in loanwords, representing the sound 'jia,' although the character 夹 is more frequently used for this purpose.

Strokes8Radical艹Frequency#15250DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

Eggplant, or 茄子 (qiézi), is a popular ingredient in Chinese dishes, especially in regions like Sichuan where spicy eggplant dishes are favored. It's also featured in traditional Chinese medicine, believed to have cooling properties.

Memory Tip

Imagine an eggplant sitting on a 'jia' (家) - the home where it is often found in meals. The character 茄 has a radical for plants (艹) at the top, reminding you of its vegetable nature, while the rest of the character resembles a stylized 'J' for 'jiā'.

Meanings of 茄

jiā(jia1)
primary
1eggplant
2phonetic character used in loanwords for the sound "jia", although 夹 is more common
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 茄

茄Simplified
8Strokes
艹Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 茄

JasonAmy

Podcast: 茄

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 茄

Quick Contrast

茄 (jiā) vs 蔬 (shū) — use 茄 specifically for 'eggplant,' while 蔬 refers to 'vegetables' in general.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine an eggplant sitting on a 'jia' (家) - the home where it is often found in meals. The character 茄 has a radical for plants (艹) at the top, reminding you of its vegetable nature, while the rest of the character resembles a stylized 'J' for 'jiā'.

Usage Notes

In culinary contexts, 茄 is commonly paired with words like '炒' (chǎo, to fry) or '汤' (tāng, soup). Be careful with pronunciation; the first tone (jiā) is crucial, as mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with other terms. It is primarily informal and used in everyday conversation.

HSK Study Tips

茄 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, but it relates to other food-related characters, like 菜 (cài, vegetable) and 蔬 (shū, vegetable), which are essential for HSK 2 and 3. Focus on pronunciation and usage in dish names to enhance your vocabulary.

Cultural Note

Eggplant, or 茄子 (qiézi), is a popular ingredient in Chinese dishes, especially in regions like Sichuan where spicy eggplant dishes are favored. It's also featured in traditional Chinese medicine, believed to have cooling properties.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 茄 (jiā) with similar-sounding characters like 夹 (jiā), leading to incorrect meanings. For example, saying '夹子' (jiāzi, clip) instead of '茄子' (qiézi, eggplant) when referring to the vegetable is a common error.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 茄

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Etymology of 茄

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

Phonosemantic compound. 艹 represents the meaning and 加 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

plant

Semantic (meaning)艹
+
Phonetic (sound)加
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 茄?

Decomposition of 茄

IDS Structure⿱艹加
茄Full Character
=
艹cao3
top
加Jia1
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 茄?

Write 茄

茄

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 茄

茄 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

你得把番____烤到皮变黑为止。

You need to grill the tomatoes until the skins blacken.

Example Sentences for 茄 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你得把番茄烤到皮变黑为止。

nǐ dé bǎ fān qié kǎo dào pí biàn hēi wéi zhǐ。

You need to grill the tomatoes until the skins blacken.
2
现在你只需把茄子和拌料一层层交替放好。

xiàn zài nǐ zhī xū bǎ qié zǐ hé bàn liào yī céng céng jiāo tì fàng hǎo。

Now you just alternate layers of that mixture and eggplant.
3
她得意地笑着把雪茄给贾森递了回去。

tā dé yì dì xiào zháo bǎ xuě qié gěi jiǎ sēn dì le huí qù。

She handed the cigar back to Jason with a self-satisfied smile.
4
在番茄沙司中无论加入什么都不如加一点儿新鲜的紫苏更能提味。

zài fān qié shā sī zhōng wú lùn jiā rù shí mó dū bù rú jiā yī diǎn ér xīn xiān de zǐ sū gēng néng tí wèi。

There'snothing like fresh basil to put a zing into a tomato sauce.
5
诺尔曼切开自己的派，往里面挤了点番茄酱。

nuò ěr màn qiē kāi zì jǐ de pài， ， wǎng lǐ miàn jǐ le diǎn fān qié。

Norman cut open his pie and squirted tomato sauce into it.
6
她把分菜匙伸进那盘碎肉茄子蛋中。

tā bǎ fēn cài chí shēn jìn nà pán suì ròu qié zǐ dàn zhōng。

She digs the serving spoon into the moussaka.
7
他把手伸进胸前口袋里拿雪茄烟盒。

tā bǎ shǒu shēn jìn xiōng qián kǒu dài lǐ ná xuě qié yān hé。

He reached into his breast pocket for his cigar case.
8
我走进他的房间时,闻到一股雪茄烟的气味.

wǒ zǒu jìn tā de fáng jiān shí, , wén dào yī gǔ xuě qié yān de qì.

I caught a whiff of cigar smoke when I entered his room.
9
胖队长边吸雪茄边对那个快活的军官嘀咕着什么.

pàng duì cháng biān xī xuě qié biān duì nà gè kuài huó de jūn guān dí gū zháo shí mó.

The fat captain was muttering through his cigar to the merry - eyed officer.
10
如果你喜欢，可以上一碗热番茄调味汁来蘸着吃。

rú guǒ nǐ xǐ huān， ， kě yǐ shàng yī wǎn rè fān qié tiáo wèi zhī lái zhàn zháo。

Serve a bowl of warm tomato sauce on the side for dipping, if desired.

Cultural Notes for 茄

🏮Cultural insight

Eggplant, or 茄子 (qiézi), is a popular ingredient in Chinese dishes, especially in regions like Sichuan where spicy eggplant dishes are favored. It's also featured in traditional Chinese medicine, believed to have cooling properties.

Word Family of 茄

Words Containing This Character11
番茄fānqiétomato
雪茄cigar (loanword)
茄子qiéziaubergine
茄jiāphonetic character used in loanwords for the sound "jia", although 夹 is more common
番茄酱ketchup番茄醬
蕃茄tomato
茄克jacket (loanword)
雪茄烟cigar雪茄煙
茄克衫jacket
颠茄deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna)顛茄
茄子河区Qiezihe district of Qitaihe city 七台河[Qī​tái​hé], Heilongjiang茄子河區
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 番茄 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 茄

While both characters can represent the sound 'jia,' 茄 specifically means 'eggplant' and is used in culinary contexts, whereas 夹 means 'to pinch' or 'to clip'.