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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "pepper" in Chinese?
胡椒
hú jiāo
In Chinese, "pepper" is 胡椒 (hú jiāo).
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Pronunciation
Aim for "hú jiāo" when you say it, "hú" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2), then "jiāo" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Writing and usage
胡椒 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.
Example sentence
他在汤里加了一撮胡椒。
tā zài tāng lǐ jiā le yī zuǒ hú jiāo 。
He added a pinch of pepper to the soup.
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How to remember 胡椒
Say "hú jiāo" out loud three times fast — the repetition alone tends to cement "胡椒" (hú jiāo) in memory.
Related words
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 胡椒
How do you pronounce 胡椒?
Aim for "hú jiāo" when you say it, "hú" is rising sharply like a question (tone 2), then "jiāo" is flat and level, held steady (tone 1).
Is 胡椒 formal or casual?
胡椒 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.
How is 胡椒 used in Chinese?
胡椒 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 他在汤里加了一撮胡椒。 (He added a pinch of pepper to the soup.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Pepper" in other languages
Curated by Jack Ratcliffe
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