西红柿 xīhóngshì tomato
How to remember 西红柿: 西 west + 红 red + 柿 persimmon = tomato.
Characters
How it is used
- The standard Mandarin word for tomato, especially in northern China; 番茄 (fānqié) is the more formal/southern equivalent and appears in compounds like 番茄酱 (ketchup).
- Common in food names - 西红柿炒鸡蛋 (xīhóngshì chǎo jīdàn) tomato and scrambled eggs, one of the most iconic home-cooked Chinese dishes.
- 西红柿 literally means "western red persimmon", reflecting that tomatoes were introduced from abroad.