How do you say "oyster" in Chinese?

牡蛎

mǔ lì

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "oyster" is 牡蛎 (mǔ lì).

Listen to the pronunciation:

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Pronunciation

This one reads "mǔ lì" with third tone, then fourth tone; picture your pitch dipping low then curling back up, like a small scoop; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.

Writing and usage

牡蛎 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

我们在牡蛎里发现了一颗珍珠。

wǒ men zài mǔ lì lǐ fā xiàn le yī kē zhēn zhū 。

We found a pearl inside the oyster.

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How to remember 牡蛎

Try connecting the scene from "We found a pearl inside the oyster" with "mǔ lì" — it's a fast route to oyster.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 牡蛎

How do you pronounce 牡蛎?

This one reads "mǔ lì" with third tone, then fourth tone; picture your pitch dipping low then curling back up, like a small scoop; then the next syllable is snapping downward fast.

Is 牡蛎 formal or casual?

牡蛎 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 牡蛎 used in Chinese?

牡蛎 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 我们在牡蛎里发现了一颗珍珠。 (We found a pearl inside the oyster.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Oyster" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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