Usage of the character 菜

garlic chives (Allium tuberosum), aka Chinese chives
(coll.) naive or easily exploited people (esp. small investors or consumers), likened to chives that can be repeatedly harvested for profit

càishì

菜市

[菜市]

food market

mǎicài

买菜

[買菜]

to buy groceries

Mǐncài

闽菜

[閩菜]

Fujian cuisine

càipǔ

菜圃

[菜圃]

vegetable field
vegetable bed

duāncài

端菜

[端菜]

to serve food

gàicài

盖菜

[蓋菜]

leaf mustard

xiāngcài

香菜

[香菜]

coriander
cilantro
Coriandrum sativum

xiāncài

鲜菜

[鮮菜]

fresh vegetable

juécài

蕨菜

[蕨菜]

edible fern fronds (fiddleheads), esp. bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum)

hūncài

荤菜

[葷菜]

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

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

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)

càizǐ

菜籽

[菜籽]

vegetable seeds
rapeseed

càiyuán

菜园

[菜園]

vegetable garden

càiguā

菜瓜

[菜瓜]

snake melon
loofah

chúncài

莼菜

[蓴菜]

water shield (Brasenia schreberi), an edible water plant

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 (báiluóbo)
CL:根 (gēn)

wèngcài

瓮菜

[甕菜]

variant of 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

xiáncài

咸菜

[鹹菜]

salted vegetables
pickles

xìngcài

荇菜

[荇菜]

yellow floating heart (Nymphoides peltatum)

yìngcài

硬菜

[硬菜]

(dialect) meaty dish

yóucài

油菜

[油菜]

oilseed rape (Brassica napus)
rape greens; leafy greens of certain Brassica species
(dialect) bok choy

càirú

菜茹

[菜茹]

greens
green vegetables

yēcài

椰菜

[椰菜]

cabbage; broccoli; cauliflower

shāocài

烧菜

[燒菜]

to cook

càiniǎo

菜鸟

[菜鳥]

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

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

jǐncài

堇菜

[堇菜]

violet (botany)

jìcài

荠菜

[薺菜]

shepherd's purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris)

tiáncài

甜菜

[甜菜]

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

qiàocài

壳菜

[殼菜]

mussels (as food)

càiniú

菜牛

[菜牛]

beef cattle (grown for meat)

zhàcài

榨菜

[榨菜]

hot pickled mustard tuber

yècài

叶菜

[葉菜]

leaf vegetable; leafy greens

càichǎng

菜场

[菜場]

food market

jiècài

芥菜

[芥菜]

leaf mustard (Brassica juncea)
also pr. (gàicài)

shàngcài

上菜

[上菜]

to serve food

shícài

时菜

[時菜]

seasonal vegetable

càixì

菜系

[菜系]

(regional) cuisine

càibǎn

菜板

[菜板]

chopping board; cutting board
CL:張／张 (zhāng)

càidì

菜地

[菜地]

vegetable field

sùcài

素菜

[素菜]

vegetable dish

suāncài

酸菜

[酸菜]

pickled vegetables, especially Chinese cabbage

càixīn

菜心

[菜心]

choy sum
Chinese flowering cabbage
stem of any Chinese cabbage

pèicài

配菜

[配菜]

side dish

cáncài

蚕菜

[蠶菜]

Malabar spinach (Basella alba)

púcài

蒲菜

[蒲菜]

edible rhizome of cattail 香蒲 (xiāngpú)

Zhècài

浙菜

[浙菜]

Zhejiang cuisine

guācài

瓜菜

[瓜菜]

fruit and vegetables

qiūcài

秋菜

[秋菜]

autumn vegetables

càidòu

菜豆

[菜豆]

kidney bean

càiyáo

菜肴

[菜餚]

vegetable and meat dishes; dish

Lǔcài

鲁菜

[魯菜]

Shandong cuisine

yěcài

野菜

[野菜]

wild herb
potherb

bīngcài

冰菜

[冰菜]

ice plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum)

càidān

菜单

[菜單]

menu
CL:份 (fèn),張／张 (zhāng)

càiyàn

菜燕

[菜燕]

agar-agar

fùcài

副菜

[副菜]

side dish; side order

càihuā

菜花

[菜花]

cauliflower
gonorrhea

tōngcài

通菜

[通菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

pàocài

泡菜

[泡菜]

pickled cabbage

Chuāncài

川菜

[川菜]

Sichuan or Szechuan cuisine

fàncài

饭菜

[飯菜]

food

báicài

白菜

[白菜]

Chinese cabbage, esp. napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. pekinensis)
sometimes used to refer to bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)
CL:棵 (kē),個／个 (gè)

fāncài

番菜

[番菜]

(old) Western-style food
foreign food

jiǔcài

酒菜

[酒菜]

food and drink
food to accompany wine

zháicài

择菜

[擇菜]

to pick the edible part of vegetables

yūncài

晕菜

[暈菜]

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

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]

(dialect) to stop functioning

téngcài

藤菜

[藤菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

qíncài

芹菜

[芹菜]

celery (Apium graveolens)

yángcài

洋菜

[洋菜]

agar

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

míngcài

名菜

[名菜]

famous dishes
specialty dishes

qīngcài

青菜

[青菜]

green vegetables
Chinese cabbage

shūcài

蔬菜

[蔬菜]

vegetables
CL:種／种 (zhǒng)

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

qiáncài

前菜

[前菜]

appetizer; starter; hors d'oeuvre

shúcài

熟菜

[熟菜]

cooked food (ready to eat)

bāocài

包菜

[包菜]

cabbage

Táicài

台菜

[台菜]

Taiwanese food

báiqūcài

白屈菜

[白屈菜]

greater celandine

juǎnxīncài

卷心菜

[捲心菜]

variant of 卷心菜 (juǎnxīncài)

shàngcàixiù

上菜秀

[上菜秀]

dinner show
dinner and floor show

báicàijià

白菜价

[白菜價]

(coll.) very low price; dirt cheap price

náshǒucài

拿手菜

[拿手菜]

specialty (dish)

jīnzhēncài

金针菜

[金針菜]

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

gāolícài

高丽菜

[高麗菜]

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

juǎnxīncài

卷心菜

[卷心菜]

cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) (CL:棵 (kē))

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

huángdìcài

皇帝菜

[皇帝菜]

see 茼蒿 (tónghāo)

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

càidāntiáo

菜单条

[菜單條]

menu bar (of a computer application)

jiāxiāngcài

家乡菜

[家鄉菜]

regional dish
local cuisine

xiǎoyóucài

小油菜

[小油菜]

a type of rapeseed plant (Brassica rapa) that yields a leafy green vegetable similar to baby bok choy

kāiwèicài

开胃菜

[開胃菜]

starter
appetizer

kōngxīncài

空心菜

[空心菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

yóucàizǐ

油菜籽

[油菜籽]

oilseed rape (Brassica campestris)
rapeseed
coleseed

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

xiǎosōngcài

小松菜

[小松菜]

komatsuna, aka Japanese mustard spinach, a variety of Brassica rapa

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)

gānláncài

甘蓝菜

[甘藍菜]

cabbage

zhāopáicài

招牌菜

[招牌菜]

signature dish
a restaurant’s most famous dish

yàncàijīng

燕菜精

[燕菜精]

agar-agar powder

zǐcàitái

紫菜薹

[紫菜薹]

purple choy sum (Brassica rapa var. purpurea)

jūndácài

莙荙菜

[莙薘菜]

chard (Beta vulgaris)

Zhōngguócài

中国菜

[中國菜]

Chinese cuisine

zhīmacài

芝麻菜

[芝麻菜]

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

càishìchǎng

菜市场

[菜市場]

food market

xīyángcài

西洋菜

[西洋菜]

watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

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)

shānyúcài

山嵛菜

[山嵛菜]

variant of 山萮菜 (shānyúcài)

yēcàihuā

椰菜花

[椰菜花]

cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis)

běnbāngcài

本帮菜

[本幫菜]

Shanghainese food

nǎibáicài

奶白菜

[奶白菜]

milk cabbage (aka "white bok choy" and various other names), a variety of bok choy

zǐcàishǔ

紫菜属

[紫菜屬]

Porphyra (genus of edible seaweed)

zǐcàitái

紫菜苔

[紫菜苔]

variant of 紫菜薹 (zǐcàitái)

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

Kǔcàihuā

苦菜花

[苦菜花]

Bitter Herbs, 1958 novel by Feng Deying 馮德英／冯德英 ( Féng Déyīng), made into a film in 1965

càidūnzi

菜墩子

[菜墩子]

chopping block

càidānlán

菜单栏

[菜單欄]

menu bar (computing)

dòubàncài

豆瓣菜

[豆瓣菜]

watercress (Nasturtium officinale)

yùzhìcài

预制菜

[預製菜]

ready-made meal

bāoxīncài

包心菜

[包心菜]

cabbage

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

càitóuguǒ

菜头粿

[菜頭粿]

stir-fried radish cake; chai tow kway

yóumàicài

油麦菜

[油麥菜]

Indian lettuce

lüyècài

绿叶菜

[綠葉菜]

leafy green vegetable; leafy greens

qǔmaicài

苣荬菜

[苣蕒菜]

endive (Cichorium endivia)
field sowthistle (Sonchus arvensis)

dòuyácài

豆芽菜

[豆芽菜]

bean sprouts

méigāncài

霉干菜

[霉乾菜]

variant of 梅乾菜／梅干菜 (méigāncài)

gējiǔcài

割韭菜

[割韭菜]

(fig.) (coll.) to fleece a group of people repeatedly (esp. small investors, consumers or fans), treating them as an endlessly renewable resource to harvest for profit

tākēcài

塌棵菜

[塌棵菜]

Brassica narinosa (broadbeaked mustard)
Chinese flat cabbage

yángxiāngcài

洋香菜

[洋香菜]

parsley

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

xiǎobáicài

小白菜

[小白菜]

bok choy (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)
CL:棵 (kē)

jiècàizǐ

芥菜籽

[芥菜籽]

mustard seed

hóngcàitóu

红菜头

[紅菜頭]

beet; beetroot
(dialect) carrot

xiàjiǔcài

下酒菜

[下酒菜]

dish that goes well with alcoholic drinks; snack eaten with drinks

qílíncài

麒麟菜

[麒麟菜]

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

méigāncài

梅干菜

[梅乾菜]

salt-pickled sun-dried cabbage (or potherb mustard etc)

càilánzi

菜篮子

[菜籃子]

vegetable or food basket
(fig.) food supply

qiēcàibǎn

切菜板

[切菜板]

cutting board; chopping board

tèjiàcài

特价菜

[特價菜]

restaurant special
daily special

kǔmǎicài

苦荬菜

[苦蕒菜]

Ixeris denticulata

dàbáicài

大白菜

[大白菜]

Chinese cabbage; napa cabbage (Brassica rapa subsp. 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)

jiǔcàihuā

韭菜花

[韭菜花]

chives (Allium tuberosum)

qīnghuācài

青花菜

[青花菜]

broccoli

Pàocàiguó

泡菜国

[泡菜國]

(slang) South Korea

lühuācài

绿花菜

[綠花菜]

broccoli

tōngxīncài

通心菜

[通心菜]

see 蕹菜 (wèngcài)

xiāngcàiyè

香菜叶

[香菜葉]

coriander leaf

wáwacài

娃娃菜

[娃娃菜]

baby Chinese cabbage (mini-sized variety)

qīngjiāngcài

青江菜

[青江菜]

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

shānyúcài

山萮菜

[山萮菜]

wasabi

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

dàyóucài

大油菜

[大油菜]

oilseed rape (Brassica napus)

báicàidòu

白菜豆

[白菜豆]

white kidney beans

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)

diànzǐzhàcài

电子榨菜

[電子榨菜]

(slang) entertaining content such as Internet videos and TV shows that people watch while eating

qīnghuāyēcài

青花椰菜

[青花椰菜]

broccoli

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)

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]

lit. to eat depending on the dish (idiom)
fig. to act according to actual circumstances

lühuāyēcài

绿花椰菜

[綠花椰菜]

broccoli

miànyǒucàisè

面有菜色

[面有菜色]

to look famished

nǎiyóucàihuā

奶油菜花

[奶油菜花]

creamed cauliflower

Shànghǎibáicài

上海白菜

[上海白菜]

baby bok choy
Shanghai bok choy

lüyèshūcài

绿叶蔬菜

[綠葉蔬菜]

leafy green vegetable; leafy greens

jiǔcàihézi

韭菜盒子

[韭菜盒子]

chive pocket, savory pan-fried turnover stuffed with garlic chives and other ingredients (usually contains scrambled eggs)

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

hóngniúpícài

红牛皮菜

[紅牛皮菜]

chard (Beta vulgaris)

báicàixíngyóucài

白菜型油菜

[白菜型油菜]

a type of rapeseed (Brassica rapa) cultivated for its edible leaves (including varieties like bok choy and choy sum), as well as for oil production and green manure

gānlánxíngyóucài

甘蓝型油菜

[甘藍型油菜]