西瓜

Chinese

		west	melon; claw; gourd melon; claw; gourd; squash
simp. and trad. (西瓜)		西	瓜
Literally: “western melon”.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): xīguā

  (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧ ㄍㄨㄚ

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou, Jyutping): sai¹ gwaa¹

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): lhai¹ ga¹

• Hakka (Sixian, PFS): sî-kôa
• Min Dong (BUC): să̤-guă
• Min Nan (POJ): si-koe / se-koe / si-koa / sai-koe
• Wu (Wiktionary): xi ko (T1)

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Pinyin: xīguā → xīgua (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Zhuyin: ㄒㄧ ㄍㄨㄚ → ㄒㄧ ㄍㄨㄚ˙ (toneless final syllable variant)
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shi.gua
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵⁵ ku̯a̠⁵⁵/ → /ɕi⁵⁵ g̊u̯a̠²/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou)⁺
    • Jyutping: sai¹ gwaa¹
    • Yale: sāi gwā
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sai¹ gwaa¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: sei¹ gua¹
    • IPA ^(key): /sɐi̯⁵⁵ kʷɑː⁵⁵/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: lhai¹ ga¹
    • IPA ^(key): /ɬai³³ ka³³/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: sî-kôa
    • Hakka Romanization System: xi´ gua´
    • Hagfa Pinyim: xi¹ gua¹
    • IPA: /ɕi²⁴⁻¹¹ ku̯a²⁴/
• Min Dong
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: să̤-guă
    • IPA ^(key): /sɛ⁵⁵ ^(k-)ua⁵⁵/
• Min Nan
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Taichung, Hsinchu, Yilan, Lukang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: si-koe
    • Tâi-lô: si-kue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: si'koef
    • IPA (Xiamen): /ɕi⁴⁴⁻²² kue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /ɕi⁴⁴⁻³³ kue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /ɕi³³ kue³³/
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Sanxia)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: se-koe
    • Tâi-lô: se-kue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: se'koef
    • IPA (Xiamen): /se⁴⁴⁻²² kue⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /se³³ kue³³/
  • (Hokkien: Zhangzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: si-koa
    • Tâi-lô: si-kua
    • Phofsit Daibuun: si'koaf
    • IPA (Zhangzhou): /ɕi⁴⁴⁻²² kua⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: rare in Taiwan)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sai-koe
    • Tâi-lô: sai-kue
    • Phofsit Daibuun: sai'koef
    • IPA (Taipei, Kaohsiung): /saɪ⁴⁴⁻³³ kue⁴⁴/
• Wu
  • (Shanghainese)
    • Wiktionary: xi ko (T1)
    • IPA ^(key): /ɕi⁵⁵ ko²¹/

Noun

西瓜

1. watermelon

Derived terms

• 西瓜子 (xīguāzǐ)
• 西瓜帽

• 西瓜頭／西瓜头 (xīguātóu)

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (西瓜):

• Japanese: 西瓜 (すいか) (suika)
• Korean: 서과 (西瓜, seogwa)

• Mongolian: шийгуа (šijgua)

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Japanese

Kanji in this term
西	瓜
Grade: 2	Jinmeiyō
Irregular

Etymology

From Middle Chinese compound 西瓜 (sej kwæ, literally “west + melon”). Compare modern Mandarin 西瓜 (xīguā, “watermelon”). sui is the 唐音 of 西. There is an alternative spelling of 水瓜, which may be seen as both ateji and a calque of English watermelon.

Pronunciation

• (Irregular reading)
  • (Tokyo) すいか [sùíká] (Heiban – [0])
  • IPA^(key): [sɨᵝika̠]

Noun

西瓜 (hiragana すいか, katakana スイカ, rōmaji suika, historical hiragana すいくわ)

1. watermelon

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 西瓜糖 (すいかとう) (suikatō, “watermelon sugar, sugar made by concentrating watermelon juice”)
• 西瓜割 (すいかわ)り (suikawari, “a traditional Japanese game that involves splitting a watermelon with a stick whilst blindfolded”)