suàn: 蒜 - Garlic

Keywords: suan meaning, Chinese for garlic, garlic in Chinese, 蒜, suan, 大蒜, dàsuàn, Chinese cooking garlic, what is suan, Chinese aromatics, 装蒜, zhuang suan, garlic characters

Summary: Learn the Chinese word for garlic, 蒜 (suàn), a cornerstone ingredient in Chinese cuisine and culture. This guide covers its meaning, character origin, cultural significance in food and medicine, and practical usage in everyday conversation, including the essential idiom “装蒜 (zhuāng suàn)” (to pretend). Discover how to order food with garlic, talk about cooking, and understand a key part of the Chinese culinary soul.

Pinyin (with tone marks): suàn

Part of Speech: Noun

HSK Level: HSK 3

Concise Definition: Garlic, a pungent bulb widely used as a flavoring in cooking and in traditional medicine.

In a Nutshell: 蒜 (suàn) is the fundamental Chinese word for garlic. It's an indispensable aromatic that forms the flavor base of countless Chinese dishes, often stir-fried with ginger and scallions. While the single character 蒜 (suàn) is common, you'll also frequently hear 大蒜 (dàsuàn), which literally means “big garlic” and refers to the same thing.

Together, they form a character that means “a plant that sounds like 'suàn'“—in this case, garlic.

The Holy Trinity of Chinese Cooking: In Chinese cuisine, garlic (蒜 suàn), ginger (姜 jiāng), and scallions (葱 cōng) are considered the “holy trinity” of aromatics. They are often the first ingredients to hit a hot wok, creating an incredibly fragrant base oil (爆香 bàoxiāng) that infuses the entire dish with a deep, savory flavor. This foundational role is much more pronounced than in typical Western cooking.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): In TCM, garlic is considered a “hot” or “warming” (热性 rèxìng) food. It's believed to aid digestion, expel cold and dampness from the body, detoxify, and boost the immune system. It's often consumed raw in northern China during winter to combat colds.

Cultural Comparison: While Western culture uses garlic heavily, especially in Italian or French cuisine, its role in China is more systemic and foundational across almost all regional cuisines. The American concept of “garlic bread” as a specialty item contrasts with the Chinese approach where garlic is a default, assumed starting point for a stir-fry, much like onions in French mirepoix. Furthermore, the use of garlic in folklore to ward off evil spirits is a fascinating point of cultural parallel, though it's less prominent in modern China than in Western vampire lore.

At the Market: When buying garlic, you refer to a whole bulb as 一头蒜 (yī tóu suàn) and a single clove as 一瓣蒜 (yī bàn suàn).

As an Idiom: The phrase 装蒜 (zhuāng suàn) is extremely common. It literally means “to install garlic” but is used to mean “to pretend,” “to feign ignorance,” or “to play dumb.” It carries a slightly negative and informal connotation, as if you're accusing someone of putting on an act.

蒜 vs. 大蒜 (dàsuàn): For beginners, these are largely interchangeable. 蒜 (suàn) is the general term, while 大蒜 (dàsuàn) also refers to garlic, often emphasizing the whole bulb. You can use either in most situations without confusion. 蒜头 (suàntóu) specifically means “garlic head/bulb.”

Homophone Confusion: Do not confuse 蒜 (suàn) with its perfect homophone 算 (suàn), which means “to calculate” or “to count.” They sound identical but have completely different meanings and characters. The context will almost always make the meaning clear. The idiom 装蒜 (zhuāng suàn) is the only place where learners might get confused, but it always uses the garlic character 蒜.

大蒜 (dàsuàn) - “Big garlic,” a very common synonym for garlic, often referring to the whole bulb.

装蒜 (zhuāng suàn) - A crucial idiom meaning “to feign ignorance” or “play dumb.”

蒜蓉 (suànróng) - Minced or mashed garlic, a key preparation for sauces and steamed dishes.

葱 (cōng) - Scallion or green onion, one of garlic's primary partners in the kitchen.

姜 (jiāng) - Ginger, the third member of the Chinese aromatic “trinity.”

蒜苗 (suànmiáo) - Garlic scapes or sprouts, a vegetable with a milder garlic flavor.

蒜香 (suàn xiāng) - “Garlic-fragrant,” an adjective used to describe the flavor profile of a dish.

糖蒜 (táng suàn) - Sweet pickled garlic, a popular side dish.

拍蒜 (pāi suàn) - The cooking technique of smashing garlic with the side of a knife.

爆香 (bàoxiāng) - The technique of flash-frying aromatics like garlic to release their fragrance.