Fruits in Chinese – 60+ Essential Words with Audios and Pinyin

Understanding “Fruits” in Chinese

You might wanna know how to say fruits in Chinese. Actually, it might surprise you because the general word for fruit is 水果 (shuǐ guǒ). The first character, 水 (shuǐ), means “water,” and the second, 果 (guǒ), means “fruit” or “result.” Together, it translates literally as “water fruit.”

Following this audio, learn how to say fruits based on pinyin:

Here’s how you might hear it in daily conversation:

你喜欢吃水果吗？ (Nǐ xǐ huān chī shuǐ guǒ ma?) – Do you like eating fruit?

The Daily Common Fruits: Core Essentials in Chinese

These are the heavy hitters. You’ll find these in every fruit stall from Beijing to Shanghai.

1. 苹果 (píngguǒ) – Apple
2. 香蕉 (xiāngjiāo) – Banana (Literal: Fragrant banana)
3. 橙子 (chéngzi) – Orange
4. 葡萄 (pútáo) – Grape
5. 梨 (lí) – Pear
6. 桃子 (táozi) – Peach
7. 西瓜 (xīguā) – Watermelon (Literal: West melon)
8. 草莓 (cǎoméi) – Strawberry (Literal: Grass berry)
9. 樱桃 (yīngtáo) – Cherry
10. 菠萝 (bōluó) – Pineapple (Mainland) / 凤梨 (fènglí) (Taiwan)
11. 芒果 (mángguǒ) – Mango
12. 柠檬 (níngméng) – Lemon

Pro Tip: Notice the suffix 子 (zi) in words like 橙子 and 桃子. In Chinese, this is often added to single-syllable nouns to make them sound more natural and balanced.

The “Mei” Family: Berries & Small Fruits

In Chinese, most berries end in 莓 (méi). It’s the ultimate “cheat code” for your vocabulary.

13. 蓝莓 (lánméi) – Blueberry (Blue + Berry)
14. 黑莓 (hēiméi) – Blackberry (Black + Berry)
15. 蔓越莓 (mànyuèméi) – Cranberry
16. 覆盆子 (fùpénzǐ) – Raspberry
17. 桑葚 (sāngshèn) – Mulberry
18. 枸杞 (gǒuqǐ) – Goji Berry / Wolfberry
19. 醋栗 (cùlì) – Gooseberry
20. 杨梅 (yángméi) – Waxberry / Yumberry (A tart, unique Chinese specialty)

Tropical Fruits & Exotic Chinese Names

This is where Chinese naming gets creative. Many of these names describe exactly what the fruit looks like.

21. 火龙果 (huǒlóngguǒ) – Dragon Fruit (Literal: Fire dragon fruit)
22. 猕猴桃 (míhóutáo) – Kiwi (Literal: Macaque peach—because monkeys love them!)
23. 荔枝 (lìzhī) – Lychee
24. 龙眼 (lóngyǎn) – Longan (Literal: Dragon’s eye)
25. 榴莲 (liúlián) – Durian
26. 山竹 (shānzhú) – Mangosteen (Literal: Mountain bamboo)
27. 椰子 (yēzi) – Coconut
28. 木瓜 (mùguā) – Papaya (Literal: Wood melon)
29. 牛油果 (niúyóuguǒ) – Avocado (Literal: Butter fruit)
30. 百香果 (bǎixiāngguǒ) – Passion Fruit (Literal: Hundred fragrance fruit)
31. 杨桃 (yángtáo) – Star Fruit
32. 菠萝蜜 (bōluómì) – Jackfruit
33. 莲雾 (liánwù) – Wax Apple
34. 释迦 (shìjiā) – Sugar Apple (Named after the “Sakyamuni” Buddha’s head)
35. 红毛丹 (hóngmáodān) – Rambutan (Literal: Red hair vermillion)

Stone Fruits, Citrus & More in Chinese

36. 柚子 (yòuzi) – Pomelo
37. 葡萄柚 (pútáoyòu) – Grapefruit
38. 金桔 (jīnjú) – Kumquat (Literal: Golden tangerine)
39. 橘子 (júzi) – Mandarin / Tangerine
40. 青柠 (qīngníng) – Lime (Literal: Green lemon)
41. 李子 (lǐzi) – Plum
42. 杏子 (xìngzi) – Apricot
43. 油桃 (yóutáo) – Nectarine (Literal: Oil peach)
44. 西梅 (xīméi) – Prune (Literal: Western plum)
45. 枇杷 (pípá) – Loquat
46. 柿子 (shìzi) – Persimmon
47. 枣 (zǎo) – Jujube / Date
48. 石榴 (shíliú) – Pomegranate
49. 无花果 (wúhuāguǒ) – Fig (Literal: No flower fruit)

Melons & Niche Specialties in Chinese

If it’s a big, juicy melon-type fruit, it probably ends in 瓜 (guā).

50. 哈密瓜 (hāmìguā) – Hami Melon / Cantaloupe
51. 香瓜 (xiāngguā) – Honeydew / Muskmelon
52. 甘蔗 (gānzhè) – Sugar Cane
53. 荸荠 (bíqí) – Water Chestnut
54. 山楂 (shānzhā) – Hawthorn (The fruit used for Tanghulu!)
55. 罗汉果 (luóhànguǒ) – Monk Fruit
56. 橄榄 (gǎnlǎn) – Olive
57. 灯笼果 (dēnglóngguǒ) – Physalis (Literal: Lantern fruit)
58. 人参果 (rénshēnguǒ) – Pepino Melon (Literal: Ginseng fruit)
59. 沙果 (shāguǒ) – Crab Apple
60. 香橼 (xiāngyuán) – Citron
61. 番石榴 (fānshíliú) – Guava

Fruit Vocabulary Table: English – Chinese – Pinyin

Cultural Role of Fruits in Chinese

Fruit plays an important role in Chinese culture, not just as food but as a symbol. Oranges, for example, are associated with wealth and good luck because the word for orange (橙 chéng) sounds similar to the word for success (成 chéng). During Lunar New Year, families often decorate with and exchange oranges or tangerines as a sign of prosperity.

Dates (枣 zǎo) are another meaningful fruit. In weddings, dates symbolize good fortune and are part of the saying “早生贵子” (zǎo shēng guì zǐ), which means “may you have children soon.”

Learning fruit vocabulary in Chinese is not only about words—it’s also a window into traditions, festivals, and shared values.

FAQ About Chinese Fruits

Bella | WuKong Chinese Teacher

Bella holds a Master’s degree from Yangzhou University and brings 10 years of extensive experience in K-12 Chinese language teaching and research. A published scholar, she has contributed over 10 papers to the field of language and literature. Currently, Bella leads the research and development of WuKong Chinese core courses, where she prioritizes academic rigor alongside student engagement and cognitive development. She is dedicated to building a robust foundation for young learners covering phonetics (Pinyin), characters, idioms, and classical culture while ensuring that advanced courses empower students with comprehensive linguistic mastery and cultural insight.