Meaning
Jiǎozi are traditional Chinese dumplings consisting of a thin wrapper filled with minced meat and vegetables, then folded and sealed. They are a staple food in Chinese cuisine, especially popular during Chinese New Year and family gatherings. The crescent shape is said to resemble ancient Chinese gold ingots, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.
Usage
This is an extremely common everyday food word used by all Chinese speakers. Jiǎozi can be boiled (水饺 shuǐjiǎo), steamed (蒸饺 zhēngjiǎo), or pan-fried (煎饺 jiānjiǎo). During Spring Festival, families traditionally gather to make and eat jiǎozi together. The word is typically used with measure words when counting.
Examples
- 01过年的时候，我们全家一起包饺子。, .During Chinese New Year, our whole family makes dumplings together.
- 02这家餐厅的韭菜猪肉饺子特别好吃。.This restaurant's pork and chive dumplings are especially delicious.
Characters
Measure words
- 个一个饺子
- 盘一盘饺子
- 碗一碗饺子
Common collocations
- 包饺子to make dumplings
- 吃饺子to eat dumplings
- 水饺boiled dumplings
- 煎饺pan-fried dumplings
Origin
The character 饺 combines the food radical 饣(食) with 交 (jiāo, meaning 'to cross' or 'to meet'), possibly referring to the folded, crossed edges of the dumpling wrapper. The suffix 子 is a common diminutive or nominal suffix in Chinese.