西瓜
watermelon
xīguā
What does 西瓜 mean?
西瓜 (xīguā) is the Chinese word for watermelon — literally 'western melon,' a name that records its arrival in China from Central Asia along the Silk Road. It's the iconic fruit of Chinese summer: street vendors stack them in pyramids from June to August, and families eat slices to cool down on hot afternoons.
The most common quantities are 一个西瓜 (a whole one) and 一块西瓜 (a chunk). Beyond the fruit itself, 西瓜 appears in two everyday expressions: 西瓜子 (xīguā zǐ) are the dried, salted watermelon seeds eaten as a snack, and on Chinese internet slang 吃瓜 ('eating melon,' short for 吃西瓜) means watching gossip unfold without getting involved — a 吃瓜群众 is a 'melon-eating bystander.'
Character breakdown
west
melon; gourd
Memory hook: 'Western melon' — the melon that came to China from the west along the Silk Road.
Measure word for 西瓜
Example sentences
夏天我喜欢吃西瓜。
Xiàtiān wǒ xǐhuan chī xīguā.
I like to eat watermelon in summer.
spoken
这个西瓜很甜。
Zhège xīguā hěn tián.
This watermelon is very sweet.
neutral
请给我一块西瓜。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yí kuài xīguā.
Please give me a piece of watermelon.
polite
妈妈在厨房切西瓜。
Māma zài chúfáng qiē xīguā.
Mom is cutting watermelon in the kitchen.
neutral
Common phrases with 西瓜
Don't confuse 西瓜 with
黄瓜 is cucumber, not a 'yellow melon.' Same 瓜 character, different first character. 西瓜 = watermelon (sweet, summer fruit); 黄瓜 = cucumber (vegetable).
南瓜 ('southern melon') is pumpkin / squash. Same 瓜 family of words: 西瓜 (watermelon), 南瓜 (pumpkin), 黄瓜 (cucumber), 冬瓜 (winter melon). The first character tells you which one.
FAQ
Acquire by listening
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