vegetable

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 菜 is read さい, has 11 strokes, and relates to vegetables or greens.
• Basic usage: 野菜 is read やさい, and 白菜 is read はくさい.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 野菜 and 白菜
  • 野菜 means vegetable.
  • 市場で新鮮な野菜を買った。 means “I bought fresh vegetables at the market.”
  • 白菜 means napa cabbage.
  • 鍋に白菜と豆腐をたっぷり入れた。 means “I put plenty of napa cabbage and tofu in the hot pot.”