📂 Oxford Accepted

Dim sum (点心) — Chinglish Slang

📌 Quick Overview | 词条速览

Slang Name:Dim sum

Chinese:点心

Type:Oxford Accepted / Chinglish Slang

🔎 Full Meaning | 完整释义

English:
A style of Cantonese cuisine consisting of small bite-sized savory and sweet dishes, usually served with tea in teahouses; a collective term for various small Chinese snacks in English.

中文:
粤式菜系的一种,指分量小巧的咸甜菜品,通常在茶楼搭配茶点食用,是英文中各类中式小型点心的统称。

📜 Origin & Background | 词源与文化背景

Transliterated from the Cantonese pronunciation of "diǎn xīn" (点心), meaning "touch the heart". It originated in ancient China and was introduced to the West by Cantonese immigrants, becoming a globally known English term for Chinese small dishes.
源自中文粤语“点心”的音译,字面意为“触碰心灵”,起源于中国古代,经粤籍移民传入西方,成为全球知名的中式小食英文专用词。

📖 Example Sentences | 双语实用例句

📌 Example 1
A: "Let's go to the teahouse to eat dim sum this weekend." B: "Perfect! I want to eat har gow and siu mai."

A:"这周末我们去茶楼吃点心吧。" B:"太好了!我想吃虾饺和烧卖。"
📌 Example 2
A: "What is your favorite dim sum?" B: "I love egg tarts and sticky rice rolls."

A:"你最喜欢的点心是什么?" B:"我喜欢蛋挞和肠粉。"
📌 Example 3
A: "Dim sum is usually eaten for breakfast or brunch." B: "It is a traditional Cantonese lifestyle."

A:"点心通常当早餐或早午餐吃。" B:"这是传统的粤式生活方式。"
📌 Example 4
A: "Many dim sum are steamed to keep them fresh." B: "That's why they are healthy and tasty."

A:"很多点心都是蒸制的,保留鲜味。" B:"所以它们健康又好吃。"
📌 Example 5
A: "Foreign tourists are curious about dim sum culture." B: "They enjoy trying different small dishes."

A:"外国游客对点心文化很好奇。" B:"他们喜欢尝试各式各样的小点心。"
📌 Example 6
A: "Can we make dim sum at home?" B: "Some simple dim sum are easy to make at home."

A:"我们能在家做点心吗?" B:"一些简单的点心在家就能做。"
📌 Example 7
A: "Dim sum goes well with Chinese tea." B: "Tea can relieve the greasiness of dim sum."

A:"点心和中国茶是绝配。" B:"茶能解点心的油腻。"
📌 Example 8
A: "There are hundreds of kinds of dim sum." B: "It is hard to try all of them in one day."

A:"点心有几百种。" B:"一天很难尝完所有种类。"
📌 Example 9
A: "Dim sum culture is an important part of Chinese food culture." B: "It represents the delicacy of Chinese cuisine."

A:"点心文化是中国饮食文化的重要部分。" B:"它代表了中餐的精致。"

🔗 Related Chinglish Slang

✍️ By Chinglish Lab Team · 📅 May 5, 2026
#Chinglish #OxfordAccepted #ChineseEnglish

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