Youzi
/ˈjoʊ.zi/noun
A pomelo, especially the large citrus fruit known in Mandarin Chinese as yòuzi.
Did you know?Youzi belongs to the same Chinese-derived naming family as Japanese yuzu and Korean yuja, although those fruits and their modern culinary uses are not identical.
Etymological Timeline
Old Chinese
Old Chinese
*l'uɡ(s)
“A reconstructed form associated with 柚, the pomelo or a related citrus fruit”
Middle Chinese
Middle Chinese
柚 (yuwH)
“The character and pronunciation used for the pomelo or related citrus”
Classical Chinese
Chinese
柚子
“The pomelo; 柚 names the fruit and 子 is a noun-forming element meaning “fruit” or “thing””
Modern Mandarin
Mandarin
柚子 (yòuzi)
“Pomelo; the second syllable is commonly pronounced with a neutral tone”
Modern English
English
youzi
“A transliterated culinary or botanical loanword for pomelo”