Usage of the character 菜

garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), aka Chinese chives
(fig.) retail investors who lose their money to more experienced operators (i.e. they are "harvested" like garlic chives)

càishì

菜市

[菜市]

food market

càiyàn

菜燕

[菜燕]

agar-agar

fùcài

副菜

[副菜]

side dish; side order

Mǐncài

闽菜

[閩菜]

Fujian cuisine

càipǔ

菜圃

[菜圃]

vegetable field
vegetable bed

duāncài

端菜

[端菜]

to serve food

càihuā

菜花

[菜花]

cauliflower
gonorrhea

pàocài

泡菜

[泡菜]

pickled cabbage

Chuāncài

川菜

[川菜]

Sichuan or Szechuan cuisine

gàicài

盖菜

[蓋菜]

leaf mustard

hūncài

荤菜

[葷菜]

non-vegetarian dish (including meat, fish, garlic, onion etc)

juécài

蕨菜

[蕨菜]

fiddlehead
edible fern fronds

tōngcài

通菜

[通菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

báicài

白菜

[白菜]

Chinese cabbage
pak choi
CL:棵 (kē), 個／个 (gè)

fàncài

饭菜

[飯菜]

food

xiāngcài

香菜

[香菜]

coriander
cilantro
Coriandrum sativum

xiāncài

鲜菜

[鮮菜]

fresh vegetable

fāncài

番菜

[番菜]

(old) Western-style food
foreign food

càiqí

菜畦

[菜畦]

vegetable field
vegetable bed

wěngcài

蓊菜

[蓊菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

Huīcài

徽菜

[徽菜]

Anhui cuisine

zháicài

择菜

[擇菜]

to pick the edible part of vegetables

jiǔcài

酒菜

[酒菜]

food and drink
food to accompany wine

chǎocài

炒菜

[炒菜]

to stir-fry
to do the cooking
stir-fried dish

càidāo

菜刀

[菜刀]

vegetable knife
kitchen knife
cleaver
CL:把 (bǎ)

yūncài

晕菜

[暈菜]

(dialect) to get confused; to be dumbfounded; to get dizzy

càizǐ

菜籽

[菜籽]

vegetable seeds
rapeseed

càiyuán

菜园

[菜園]

vegetable garden

càiguā

菜瓜

[菜瓜]

snake melon
loofah

xuěcài

雪菜

[雪菜]

see 雪裡蕻／雪里蕻 (xuělǐhóng)

huācài

花菜

[花菜]

cauliflower

càiguǎn

菜馆

[菜館]

(dialect) restaurant

zuòcài

做菜

[做菜]

to cook
cooking

xiēcài

歇菜

[歇菜]

Stop it! (Beijing and Internet slang)
Game over!
You're dead!

téngcài

藤菜

[藤菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

Yuècài

粤菜

[粵菜]

Cantonese cuisine

càijī

菜鸡

[菜雞]

(slang) total noob

càitóu

菜头

[菜頭]

(Tw) radish, esp. white radish 白蘿蔔／白萝卜 (báiluobo)
CL:根 (gēn)

wèngcài

瓮菜

[甕菜]

variant of 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

yángcài

洋菜

[洋菜]

agar

qíncài

芹菜

[芹菜]

celery (Apium graveolens)

xiáncài

咸菜

[鹹菜]

salted vegetables
pickles

tiáncài

菾菜

[菾菜]

variant of 甜菜 (tiáncài)

xiǎocài

小菜

[小菜]

appetizer
small side dish
easy job
piece of cake
see also 小菜一碟 (xiǎocàiyīdié)

Yángcài

扬菜

[揚菜]

Jiangsu cuisine

xìngcài

荇菜

[荇菜]

yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltatum)

míngcài

名菜

[名菜]

famous dishes
specialty dishes

yìngcài

硬菜

[硬菜]

(dialect) meaty dish

yóucài

油菜

[油菜]

oilseed rape (Brassica napus)
flowering edible rape (Brassica chinensis var. oleifera)

yēcài

椰菜

[椰菜]

cabbage; broccoli; cauliflower

shāocài

烧菜

[燒菜]

to cook

càirú

菜茹

[菜茹]

greens
green vegetables

càiniǎo

菜鸟

[菜鳥]

(coll.) sb new to a particular subject
rookie
beginner
newbie

shūcài

蔬菜

[蔬菜]

vegetables
CL:種／种 (zhǒng)

xiàncài

苋菜

[莧菜]

amaranth greens (genus Amaranthus)
Chinese spinach (Amaranth mangostanus)

zǐcài

紫菜

[紫菜]

edible seaweed of genus Porphyra or genus Pyropia, esp. one used to make dried sheets of nori

càipǔ

菜谱

[菜譜]

menu (in restaurant)
recipe
cookbook

shèngcài

剩菜

[剩菜]

leftovers (food)

huīcài

灰菜

[灰菜]

fat hen (Chenopodium album), edible annual plant

càipǐn

菜品

[菜品]

culinary dish

Xiāngcài

湘菜

[湘菜]

Hunan cuisine

jǐncài

堇菜

[堇菜]

violet (botany)

qiàocài

壳菜

[殼菜]

mussels (as food)

shúcài

熟菜

[熟菜]

cooked food (ready to eat)

tiáncài

甜菜

[甜菜]

(sugar) beet
(US) beet; (UK) beetroot

bāocài

包菜

[包菜]

cabbage

Táicài

台菜

[台菜]

Taiwanese food

càiniú

菜牛

[菜牛]

beef cattle (grown for meat)

chúncài

莼菜

[蒓菜]

Brasenia schreberi

jìcài

荠菜

[薺菜]

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

zhǔcài

主菜

[主菜]

main course

shānyúcài

山嵛菜

[山嵛菜]

variant of 山萮菜 (shānyúcài)

báicàidòu

白菜豆

[白菜豆]

white kidney beans

xīyángcài

西洋菜

[西洋菜]

watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

báiqūcài

白屈菜

[白屈菜]

greater celandine

yēcàihuā

椰菜花

[椰菜花]

cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)

xiāngcàiyè

香菜叶

[香菜葉]

coriander leaf

běnbāngcài

本帮菜

[本幫菜]

Shanghainese food

juǎnxīncài

卷心菜

[捲心菜]

variant of 卷心菜 (juǎnxīncài)

zǐcàishǔ

紫菜属

[紫菜屬]

Porphyra (genus of edible seaweed)

qīngjiāngcài

青江菜

[青江菜]

bok choy
Shanghai pak choy
Chinese mustard (Brassica rapa Chinensis)

shàngcàixiù

上菜秀

[上菜秀]

dinner show
dinner and floor show

zǐcàitái

紫菜苔

[紫菜苔]

purple cabbage
Brassica campestris var. purpurea

tānhuángcài

摊黄菜

[攤黃菜]

(dialect) scrambled eggs

shíhuācài

石花菜

[石花菜]

Gelidium amansii, species of red algae from which agar is extracted

Kǔ Càihuā

苦菜花

[苦菜花]

Bitter Cauliflower, 1954 socialist realist novel by Feng Deying 馮德英／冯德英 ( Féng Déyīng) loosely based on Maxim Gorky's Mother, made into a 1967 film by Li Ang

báicàijià

白菜价

[白菜價]

lit. cabbage price
low price

náshǒucài

拿手菜

[拿手菜]

specialty (dish)

càidūnzi

菜墩子

[菜墩子]

chopping board

càidānlán

菜单栏

[菜單欄]

menu bar (computing)

dòubàncài

豆瓣菜

[豆瓣菜]

watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

jīnzhēncài

金针菜

[金針菜]

day lily (Hemerocallis), used in Chinese medicine and cuisine

yùzhìcài

预制菜

[預製菜]

ready-made meal

gāolícài

高丽菜

[高麗菜]

cabbage (CL:顆／颗 (kē),個／个 (gè))
Taiwan pr. (gāolicāi)

bāoxīncài

包心菜

[包心菜]

cabbage

juǎnxīncài

卷心菜

[卷心菜]

cabbage
CL:棵 (kē)

bǎotǎcài

宝塔菜

[寶塔菜]

Chinese artichoke (Stachys affinis), perennial plant with an edible rhizome

jiāchángcài

家常菜

[家常菜]

home cooking

lücàihuā

绿菜花

[綠菜花]

broccoli

càibāozi

菜包子

[菜包子]

steamed bun stuffed with vegetables
(fig.) useless person
a good-for-nothing

yóumàicài

油麦菜

[油麥菜]

Indian lettuce

huángdìcài

皇帝菜

[皇帝菜]

see 茼蒿 (tónghāo)

qǔmaicài

苣荬菜

[苣蕒菜]

endive (Cichorium endivia)
field sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis)

dòuyácài

豆芽菜

[豆芽菜]

bean sprouts

shuǐwèngcài

水蕹菜

[水蕹菜]

water spinach or ong choy (Ipomoea aquatica), used as a vegetable in south China and southeast Asia

nínghuācài

凝花菜

[凝花菜]

gelidiella, tropical and subtropical red algae

tākēcài

塌棵菜

[塌棵菜]

Brassica narinosa (broadbeaked mustard)
Chinese flat cabbage

yángxiāngcài

洋香菜

[洋香菜]

parsley

càidāntiáo

菜单条

[菜單條]

menu bar (of a computer application)

jiāxiāngcài

家乡菜

[家鄉菜]

regional dish
local cuisine

lǎohǔcài

老虎菜

[老虎菜]

tiger salad, a northeast China dish usually consisting of hot pepper, cucumber, cilantro and leek

lóngxūcài

龙须菜

[龍鬚菜]

asparagus
(Tw) young shoots of the chayote vine 佛手瓜 (fóshǒuguā)

hóngtóucài

红头菜

[紅頭菜]

beetroot

kāiwèicài

开胃菜

[開胃菜]

starter
appetizer

xiǎobáicài

小白菜

[小白菜]

bok choy
Chinese cabbage
Brassica chinensis
CL:棵 (kē)

kōngxīncài

空心菜

[空心菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

xiàjiǔcài

下酒菜

[下酒菜]

a dish that goes well with alcoholic drinks

hóngcàitóu

红菜头

[紅菜頭]

beet; beetroot
(dialect) carrot

jiècàizǐ

芥菜籽

[芥菜籽]

mustard seed

yóucàizǐ

油菜籽

[油菜籽]

oilseed rape (Brassica campestris)
rapeseed
coleseed

càilánzi

菜篮子

[菜籃子]

vegetable or food basket
(fig.) food supply

tèjiàcài

特价菜

[特價菜]

restaurant special
daily special

qílíncài

麒麟菜

[麒麟菜]

eucheuma, a type of red algae (used in TCM)

huánghuācài

黄花菜

[黃花菜]

citron daylily (Hemerocallis citrina Baroni); golden needles (its edible flower)

géláncài

格兰菜

[格蘭菜]

see 芥藍／芥蓝 (gàilán)

huāyēcài

花椰菜

[花椰菜]

cauliflower

yángbáicài

洋白菜

[洋白菜]

cabbage (round cabbage most commonly found in Western countries)

yuánbáicài

圆白菜

[圓白菜]

round white cabbage (i.e. Western cabbage)

kǔmǎicài

苦荬菜

[苦蕒菜]

Ixeris denticulata

dàbáicài

大白菜

[大白菜]

bok choy
Chinese cabbage
Brassica pekinensis
CL:棵 (kē)

zǐcàidān

子菜单

[子菜單]

(computing) submenu

wūtācài

乌塌菜

[烏塌菜]

rosette bok choy (Brassica rapa var. rosularis)

niúpícài

牛皮菜

[牛皮菜]

chard (Beta vulgaris), a foliage beet

gānláncài

甘蓝菜

[甘藍菜]

cabbage

jiǔcàihuā

韭菜花

[韭菜花]

chives (Allium tuberosum)

qīnghuācài

青花菜

[青花菜]

broccoli

zhāopáicài

招牌菜

[招牌菜]

signature dish
a restaurant’s most famous dish

lühuācài

绿花菜

[綠花菜]

broccoli

tōngxīncài

通心菜

[通心菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

wáwacài

娃娃菜

[娃娃菜]

baby Chinese cabbage (mini-sized variety)

yàncàijīng

燕菜精

[燕菜精]

agar-agar powder

chǎobōcài

炒菠菜

[炒菠菜]

stir-fried spinach

Zhōngguócài

中国菜

[中國菜]

Chinese cuisine

shānyúcài

山萮菜

[山萮菜]

wasabi

zhīmacài

芝麻菜

[芝麻菜]

(botany) arugula; rocket; roquette (subspecies Eruca vesicaria sativa)

càishìchǎng

菜市场

[菜市場]

food market

qúndàicài

裙带菜

[裙帶菜]

wakame (Undaria pinnatifida), an edible seaweed

chūcàixiù

出菜秀

[出菜秀]

dinner show
dinner and floor show

xiǎocàir

小菜儿

[小菜兒]

erhua variant of 小菜 (xiǎocài)

yóumàicài

莜麦菜

[莜麥菜]

variant of 油麥菜／油麦菜 (yóumàicài)

miànyǒucàisè

面有菜色

[面有菜色]

to look famished

càishìchǎngmíng

菜市场名

[菜市場名]

(Tw) popular given name (one that will turn many heads if you shout it at a marketplace)

qīnghuāyēcài

青花椰菜

[青花椰菜]

broccoli

Shànghǎibáicài

上海白菜

[上海白菜]

baby bok choy
Shanghai bok choy

xiǎocàiyīdié

小菜一碟

[小菜一碟]

a small appetizer
a piece of cake; very easy (idiom)

Hánguópàocài

韩国泡菜

[韓國泡菜]

kimchi

bādàcàixì

八大菜系

[八大菜系]

the eight major cuisines of China, namely 川魯粵蘇浙閩湘徽／川鲁粤苏浙闽湘徽 ( Chuān Lǔ Yuè Sū Zhè Mǐn Xiāng Huī)

xiǎocàidiér

小菜碟儿

[小菜碟兒]

erhua variant of 小菜一碟 (xiǎocàiyīdié)

Hánshìpàocài

韩式泡菜

[韓式泡菜]

kimchi

zǐcàibāofàn

紫菜包饭

[紫菜包飯]

gimbap, aka kimbap (Korean dish made by rolling up steamed rice and other ingredients in a sheet of nori)

Déguósuāncài

德国酸菜

[德國酸菜]

sauerkraut

càishìzǐmíng

菜市仔名

[菜市仔名]

(Tw) popular given name (one that will turn many heads if you shout it at a marketplace) (from Taiwanese 菜市仔名, Tai-lo pr. (tshài-tshī-á-miâ), where 菜市仔 means "marketplace")

kàncàichīfàn

看菜吃饭

[看菜吃飯]