香蕉

香蕉 (xiāngjiāo) is the noun 'banana,' the long yellow fruit. The word is built from 香 (fragrant) + 蕉 (a type of broad-leafed plant), literally 'fragrant 蕉.' Three things to know. First, the measure word matters: one banana is 一根香蕉 (yì gēn xiāngjiāo) — 根 is the measure word for long thin things.

A whole bunch is 一串香蕉 (yí chuàn) or 一把香蕉 (yì bǎ). Using 个 is colloquially fine but less precise. Second, 香蕉 is one of the most common fruits in Chinese supermarkets — almost everyone learns it early. Third, in modern Chinese slang, 香蕉人 (xiāngjiāo rén, 'banana person') refers to overseas-born ethnic Chinese — 'yellow on the outside, white on the inside' — a term that can be neutral or pejorative depending on context.