n.
dumpling
饺子
Common Usage & Traps
- 吃饺子 — eat dumplings
- 买饺子 — buy dumplings
- 饺子七块五 — dumplings are seven yuan fifty
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饺子是七块五饺子七块五In a quick menu or price tag, Chinese usually drops 是. It is not wrong in a full sentence, but on a sign it sounds heavy.
In '饺子七块五，包子五块三', why is there no 是 or measure word?
Menus and price tags drop 是 and measure words; the number alone does the job.
Chinese price talk often cuts the verb and measure word. '饺子七块五' works because the context already says we're talking about price. Adding 是 is fine in a full sentence, but on a menu it sounds heavy. Same pattern: '包子五块三' means 'buns are five thirty'. “饺子七块五，包子五块三。” (Dumplings are seven yuan fifty, and steamed buns are five yuan thirty.) ── [《一二三 住医院》](/read/hospital-days-pricey-plates#s5)
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Quick price talk | 饺子七块五 | 饺子是七块五 (on a sign) |
Does English 'dumpling' mean the same as 饺子?
No. 饺子 means Chinese jiaozi, not every dumpling.
饺子 are the half-moon dumplings with a wheat wrapper, usually boiled or pan-fried. A 包子 is a filled bun with a thicker, fluffy wrapper. English menus often call both 'dumplings', but Chinese keeps them separate. If you call a 包子 a 饺子, people will notice the mix-up.
| Dimension | Natural | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Half-moon dumplings | 饺子 | 包子 |
| Steamed filled buns | 包子 | 饺子 |
| English 'dumpling' | 饺子 for jiaozi only | 饺子 for every dumpling |
Featured in Story Deep Dive
Follow how this word unfolds across the narrative arc of this graded story.
Follow a traveler's unexpected hospital stay in China, where counting days and costs becomes practical learning. Practice numbers, dates, food prices, and simple descriptions of a doctor and room.
- Scene #1
饺子 七块五，包子五块三。
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