Singaporean Mandarin Database

This database contains a collection of Mandarin terms which have cultural, historical or sentimental value unique to Singapore. These terms may be used by Singaporeans in the past or at present. Some of the terms are read in print while others are used in our everyday conversations.

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水

shuǐ

草

cǎo

straw

Speech

生活用语

Speech

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straw

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Speech

生活用语

Speech

释义

名词

新马等地对吸管的叫法，多用于口语。

DEFINITION

Noun

A term used in Singapore and Malaysia to refer to straws, mostly used colloquially.

由来
  • “水草” 可能源自英语吸管一词 “straw” 的翻译，因为 “straw” 也指空心的麦秆、禾秆，可以吸水。
  • 唐朝诗人杜甫在诗作中就提到用芦苇当吸管来饮酒。先民用水边的芦苇来吸水，而水草本意是水源和青草，即浮萍、黑藻等类水生植物的通称，因此在新马地区就称吸管为水草。
  • 早期在新加坡报纸、广告中 “水草” 一词十分常见。但是如今基本上都 以 “吸管” 做书面用语，“水草” 则为口头用语。
ETYMOLOGY
  • The term “水草” may have come from translation of the English word “straw”, as “straw” also refers to hollow stalks of wheat or other cereal plants which can be used for sucking up water.
  • The Tang dynasty poet Du Fu mentioned the use of reeds as tubes for drinking liquor in his poems. People of yore used reeds that grow by the water as drinking straws.  As “水草” originally meant water sources (“水”) and grass (“草”) and is used as a generic term for aquatic plants such as duckweed and water thyme, drinking straws are therefore known as “水草” in Singapore and Malaysia.
  • In early Singapore, the term “水草” was already commonly used in newspapers and advertisements. However, straws are usually written as “吸管” in print while the term “水草” is used in speech today.
例句
一粒粒的厚皮西瓜，竟然敌不过柔软的水草，表演的师傅，不费任何劲力，手起指落，将一枝枝喝汽水的水草，像插豆腐一样，穿瓜而过，旁观者无不鼓掌叫好。（《新明日报》， 28/12/1996）
SAMPLE SENTENCE
Each of the thick-skinned watermelons turned out to be no big deal for the soft straws. The veteran performer brandished his hands and came down with his fingers to thrust the straws effortlessly one after another into the melons, as if he was spearing through tofu. The onlookers applauded in unison. (Shin Min Daily News, 28/12/1996)
参考资料
点击查看水草的参考资料
REFERENCES

Click here to view references for straw

 

 

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