📂 Food & Drink

Sour plum drink

酸梅汤

📌 Quick Overview | 词条速览

Slang Name:Sour plum drink

Chinese:酸梅汤

Type:Food & Drink / Chinglish Slang

🔎 What does "Sour plum drink" mean?

English:
A traditional Chinese summer cooling drink made from sour plums, rock sugar, hawthorn and other ingredients, sour, sweet and refreshing🍹

中文:
中国传统消暑饮品,以乌梅、冰糖、山楂等原料熬制而成,酸甜爽口,清热解暑

📜 Origin & Background | 词源与文化背景

English: Sour plum drink is a classic summer heat-relief drink in China with a history of thousands of years. It originated from the ancient Chinese medicinal diet, using dark plums (sour plums) as the main raw material, matched with hawthorn, licorice and rock sugar. It is a natural healthy drink for relieving summer heat and quenching thirst in summer.
Chinese: 酸梅汤是中国拥有千年历史的经典消暑饮品,源于中国古代药食同源文化,以乌梅为主要原料,搭配山楂、甘草、冰糖熬制,是夏季清热解渴的天然健康饮品

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Is it polite to say "Sour plum drink" in formal situations? (在正式场合说"Sour plum drink"礼貌吗?) +

"Sour plum drink" is informal slang. It is perfectly fine to use with friends, on social media, or in casual conversations. However, avoid using it in formal writing, job interviews, or professional emails. In those settings, it may sound unprofessional or confusing to native English speakers who are not familiar with Chinglish expressions. Use it to add humor, not in serious contexts.

"Sour plum drink"属于非正式俚语,适合在朋友之间、社交媒体或闲聊时使用。但在正式写作、求职面试或商务邮件中请避免使用,因为不熟悉中式英语的母语者可能会觉得不专业或令人困惑。想增加幽默感时可以用,严肃场合请避免。

Can native English speakers understand "Sour plum drink"? (英语母语者能理解"Sour plum drink"吗?) +

Most native English speakers cannot understand "Sour plum drink" without explanation, because it is a Chinglish phrase that follows Chinese grammar or word choices. However, with the rise of Chinese internet culture on TikTok, YouTube, and Reddit, more foreigners are learning these phrases and finding them funny. If you use it, be prepared to explain the meaning — it often makes for a great conversation starter!

大多数英语母语者无法在没有解释的情况下理解"Sour plum drink",因为它是遵循中文语法或用词习惯的中式英语。不过,随着中国网络文化在 TikTok、YouTube 和 Reddit 上的传播,越来越多外国人正在学习这些短语,并觉得它们很有趣。如果你使用它,请准备好解释含义——这往往能成为一个很棒的话题开场白!

What is the difference between "Sour plum drink" and standard English expressions? ("Sour plum drink"和标准英语表达有什么区别?) +

The main difference is that "Sour plum drink" uses Chinese sentence structure or literal translation, while standard English would use completely different words. For example, standard English might express the same idea with a common idiom or slang term, but "Sour plum drink" keeps the Chinese logic. This is exactly what makes it Chinglish — it is creative, humorous, and uniquely Chinese, even if it is not "correct" English.

主要区别在于"Sour plum drink"使用了中文句子结构或字面翻译,而标准英语会使用完全不同的词汇。例如,标准英语可能用常见的习语或俚语表达同样的意思,但"Sour plum drink"保留了中国人的逻辑。这正是它成为中式英语的原因——它有创意、幽默,且具有独特的中国色彩,即使它并不是"正确"的英语。

When did "Sour plum drink" become popular online? ("Sour plum drink"是什么时候在网上流行起来的?) +

The phrase "Sour plum drink" started gaining traction on Chinese social media platforms like Douyin and Bilibili around 2018–2020, when short videos explaining Chinglish went viral. It was then picked up by international TikTok users who found it hilarious and started using it as a meme. Today, it is one of the most recognized Chinglish phrases among both Chinese learners and curious netizens worldwide.

"Sour plum drink"大约在2018–2020年间在抖音、B站等中国社交媒体上开始走红,当时解释中式英语的短视频迅速爆火。随后被国际 TikTok 用户发掘并作为梗传播,他们认为这非常有趣。如今,它已成为中外网友中最具辨识度的中式英语短语之一。

📖 Example Sentences | 双语实用例句

📌 Example 1
A: "It’s so hot in summer, what drink do you recommend?" B: "Sour plum drink, it’s sour, sweet and refreshing!"

A:"夏天太热了,推荐什么饮品?" B:"酸梅汤,酸甜又解暑!"
📌 Example 2
A: "Is sour plum drink a traditional Chinese drink?" B: "Yes, it’s a thousand-year-old summer heat-relief drink🇨🇳"

A:"酸梅汤是中国传统饮品吗?" B:"是的,是千年消暑饮品!"
📌 Example 3
A: "How to make sour plum drink at home?" B: "Boil sour plums, hawthorn and rock sugar together!"

A:"在家怎么做酸梅汤?" B:"乌梅、山楂和冰糖一起熬煮就行!"
📌 Example 4
A: "I drink a cup of sour plum drink every summer day." B: "It’s the best summer drink to quench thirst😋"

A:"我夏天每天喝一杯酸梅汤。" B:"是最好的夏季解渴饮品!"
📌 Example 5
A: "What does sour plum drink taste like?" B: "It’s sour and sweet, very refreshing in hot weather☀️"

A:"酸梅汤是什么味道?" B:"酸甜可口,大热天喝超清爽!"
📌 Example 6
A: "Can sour plum drink be iced?" B: "Iced sour plum drink is more delicious in summer🧊"

A:"酸梅汤可以冰镇吗?" B:"夏天冰镇酸梅汤更好喝!"
📌 Example 7
A: "What ingredients are in sour plum drink?" B: "Sour plums, hawthorn, licorice and rock sugar are main ingredients!"

A:"酸梅汤里有什么原料?" B:"乌梅、山楂、甘草和冰糖是主要原料!"
📌 Example 8
A: "Do you like sour plum drink?" B: "Yes, it’s my favorite summer drink!"

A:"你喜欢酸梅汤吗?" B:"喜欢,是我最爱的夏季饮品!"
📌 Example 9
A: "Is sour plum drink healthy?" B: "Sure, it’s a natural heat-relief drink with no additives🍃"

A:"酸梅汤健康吗?" B:"当然,是无添加的天然消暑饮品!"
📅 May 9, 2026
#Chinglish #Food&Drink #ChineseEnglish
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