hǎi xiān
seafood
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我喜欢吃海鲜。
wǒ xǐhuān chī hǎixiān.
I like to eat seafood.
海鲜很贵。
hǎixiān hěn guì.
Seafood is expensive.
海鲜有很多种。
hǎixiān yǒu hěn duō zhǒng.
There are many kinds of seafood.
海产 (hǎi chǎn)
seafood
水产 (shuǐ chǎn)
aquatic products
淡水鱼 (dànshuǐyú)
freshwater fish
肉类 (ròulèi)
meat
The Chinese word 海鲜 (hǎixiān) for "seafood" is a compound of two characters: 海 (hǎi), meaning "sea", and 鲜 (xiān), meaning "fresh". The character 鲜 is also used in the word 新鲜 (xīnxiān), meaning "fresh", and in the word 美味 (měiwèi), meaning "delicious". The combination of 海 and 鲜 suggests that seafood is something that is fresh from the sea and is therefore delicious. This etymology is consistent with the fact that seafood is often considered to be a delicacy in Chinese cuisine.
