Meaning of 西瓜
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- watermelon
Measure word: 顆|颗
How to use 西瓜
西瓜 is the everyday word for watermelon and is very common in summer conversation. It usually takes the measure word 个 (gè) for a whole melon or 块 (kuài) for a slice. Example: 夏天我喜欢吃西瓜。(Xiàtiān wǒ xǐhuan chī xīguā.) I like eating watermelon in summer.
西 (xī) means west and 瓜 (guā) means melon, so 西瓜 is the "western melon." Picture a big melon rolling in from the west to help you remember it.
Common mistake: Learners often write 瓜 (guā) like 爪 (zhǎo, claw). 瓜 has an extra small stroke inside and a dot at the bottom right. Also keep 瓜 in the first tone, not the fourth.
西瓜 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
西 xī · west · 6 strokes
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
瓜 guā · melon · 5 strokes
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- 5
Related words
Words that share a character with 西瓜.
| 东西 | dōngxi | east and west |
| 西边 | xībian | west; west side |
| 西方 | xīfāng | the West; the Occident |
| 西北 | xīběi | northwest |
| 西南 | xīnán | southwest |
| 西餐 | xīcān | Western-style food |
| 西医 | xīyī | Western medicine; a doctor trained in Western medicine |
| 西部 | xībù | western part |
| 黄瓜 | huángguā | cucumber |
| 西装 | xīzhuāng | suit; Western-style clothes |
| 西红柿 | xīhóngshì | tomato |
| 西班牙语 | Xībānyáyǔ | Spanish language |
Questions about 西瓜
What does 西瓜 mean?
西瓜 (xīguā) means "watermelon" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 西瓜?
西瓜 is made of 2 characters: 西 (6 strokes), 瓜 (5 strokes). That is 11 strokes in total.
Is 西瓜 an HSK word?
Yes. 西瓜 is on the HSK 4 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How do you say a slice of watermelon in Chinese?
Say 一块西瓜 (yí kuài xīguā) for a piece or slice. A whole watermelon is 一个西瓜 (yí ge xīguā).
Are there other fruits named with 瓜?
Yes. 瓜 is used for many melons and gourds, such as 哈密瓜 (hāmìguā, Hami melon) and 黄瓜 (huángguā, cucumber). Seeing 瓜 in a word usually tells you it is some kind of melon or gourd.