Question 1

What does 蛋糕 mean in Chinese?

Accepted Answer

蛋糕 (dàngāo) is the general Chinese word for cake — the Western-style baked dessert with flour, eggs, sugar and usually cream or frosting. The two characters literally read 'egg pastry,' which captures the egg-rich batter that defines the food. Use 蛋糕 for birthday cakes (生日蛋糕), cheesecakes (芝士蛋糕), cupcakes (杯子蛋糕), and most bakery cakes.

Unlike English 'cake,' which can stretch to fish cake or rice cake, 蛋糕 in Mandarin almost always refers to sweet Western-style cake; traditional Chinese rice or flour cakes use 糕 (gāo) compounds instead — 年糕 (niángāo, New Year rice cake), 月饼 (yuèbǐng) for mooncake. To order a slice, ask for 一块蛋糕 (yí kuài dàngāo).

Question 2

How do you pronounce 蛋糕?

Accepted Answer

蛋糕 is pronounced dàngāo — 蛋 (dàn), 糕 (gāo).

Question 3

Is 蛋糕 a noun, verb, or something else?

Accepted Answer

蛋糕 is a noun, register: neutral.

Question 4

What is the measure word for 蛋糕?

Accepted Answer

Use 块 (kuài). Example: 一块蛋糕 — a piece / slice of cake. Other measure words: 个 (gè), 斤 (jīn).

Question 5

What's the difference between 蛋糕 and 鸡蛋?

Accepted Answer

鸡蛋 is a chicken egg — the ingredient. 蛋糕 is the finished cake. The shared 蛋 confuses beginners.

Question 6

What's the difference between 蛋糕 and 年糕?

Accepted Answer

年糕 is sticky rice cake eaten at Chinese New Year — savory or mildly sweet, glutinous, not at all like Western cake. Both end in 糕 but the foods are completely different.

蛋糕

What does 蛋糕 mean?

Character breakdown

Measure word for 蛋糕

Example sentences

Common phrases with 蛋糕

Synonyms

Don't confuse 蛋糕 with

FAQ