# 仙草
## Chinese

* 仙草

### Pronunciation

* Mandarin
    (Pinyin): xiāncǎo
    (Zhuyin): ㄒㄧㄢ ㄘㄠˇ
* Cantonese (Jyutping): sin$^1$ cou$^2$
* Hakka
    (Sixian, PFS): siên-chhó
    (Hailu, HRS): sien$^ˋ$ co$^ˊ$
* Puxian Min (Pouseng Ping'ing): seng$^1$ cor$^3$ / seng$^1$ cao$^3$
* Southern Min
    (Hokkien, POJ): sian-chháu / chhian-chháu / chhan-chháu
    (Teochew, Peng'im): siêng$^1$ cao$^2$
* Mandarin
** (Standard Chinese)
*** Hanyu Pinyin: xiāncǎo
*** Zhuyin: ㄒㄧㄢ ㄘㄠˇ
*** Tongyong Pinyin: siancǎo
*** Wade–Giles: hsien$^1$-tsʻao$^3$
*** Yale: syān-tsǎu
*** Gwoyeu Romatzyh: shiantsao
*** Palladius: сяньцао (sjanʹcao)
*** Sinological IPA : /ɕi̯ɛn⁵⁵ t͡sʰɑʊ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
* Cantonese
** (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)
*** Jyutping: sin$^1$ cou$^2$
*** Yale: sīn chóu
*** Cantonese Pinyin: sin$^1$ tsou$^2$
*** Guangdong Romanization: xin$^1$ cou$^2$
*** Sinological IPA : /siːn⁵⁵ t͡sʰou̯³⁵/
* Hakka
** (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Neipu)
*** Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: siên-chhó
*** Hakka Romanization System: xien$^ˊ$ co$^ˋ$
*** Hagfa Pinyim: xian$^1$ co$^3$
*** Sinological IPA: /si̯en²⁴ t͡sʰo³¹/
** (Hailu, incl. Zhudong)
*** Hakka Romanization System: sien$^ˋ$ co$^ˊ$
*** Sinological IPA: /sien⁵³ t͡sʰo²⁴/
* Puxian Min
** (Putian)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: seng$^1$ cor$^3$ [Phonetic: seng$^5$ cor$^3$]
*** Báⁿ-uā-ci̍: seng-chô̤
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬɛŋ⁵³³⁻²¹ t͡sʰɒ⁴⁵³/
** (Xianyou)
*** Pouseng Ping'ing: seng$^1$ cao$^3$ [Phonetic: seng$^5$ nao$^3$]
*** Sinological IPA : /ɬɛŋ⁵³³⁻²¹ $^{(t͡sʰ-)}$nau³³²/
* Southern Min
** (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung, Sanxia, Yilan, Hsinchu, Magong, Kinmen)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: sian-chháu
*** Tâi-lô: sian-tsháu
*** Phofsit Daibuun: sienzhao
*** IPA (Xiamen, Kinmen): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻²² t͡sʰau⁵³/
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁴¹/
*** IPA (Quanzhou): /siɛn³³ t͡sʰau⁵⁵⁴/
*** IPA (Taipei, Yilan): /siɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁵³/
** (Hokkien: variant in Taiwan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhian-chháu
*** Tâi-lô: tshian-tsháu
*** Phofsit Daibuun: chienzhao
*** IPA (Kaohsiung): /t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁴¹/
*** IPA (Taipei): /t͡sʰiɛn⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁵³/
** (Hokkien: Tainan)
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī: chhan-chháu
*** Tâi-lô: tshan-tsháu
*** Phofsit Daibuun: zhanzhao
*** IPA (Tainan): /t͡sʰan⁴⁴⁻³³ t͡sʰau⁵³/
** (Teochew)
*** Peng'im: siêng$^1$ cao$^2$
*** Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: sieng tsháu
*** Sinological IPA : /sieŋ³³⁻²³ t͡sʰau⁵²/

### Noun

仙草
* (mythology) magical grass
* Chinese mesona (Platostoma palustre), plant used to make grass jelly
* (chiefly Taiwan, Singapore) grass jelly
    From: 2018, 方文章, 整合創新 珍奶供應鏈好犀利, in 《經貿透視雙周刊》, issue 498, page 59
    Cóng zǎoqī dānchún yǐ mùshǔfěn zhìchéng de báisè huò hēisè zhēnzhū fěnyuán (yǐxià jiǎnchēng zhēnzhū), dào jīntiān wǔcǎibīnfēn de gèshìgèyàng zhēnzhū huò bàobàozhū (huòchēng módòu, shuǐguǒqiú), jiāshàng bùdīng, xiāncǎo, shuǐguǒ děng pèiliào suǒ chuàngzào de xīnqí zǔhé, yǐjí diàowèifěn, tángjiāng yǔ cháyè qiānbiànwànhuà de dāpèi, kě shuō shì zhēnnǎi chǎnyè nénggòu shēngshēngbùxī, jìn ér zhújiàn cóng Táiwān hóng dào Xiānggǎng, Zhōngguó Dàlù, Dōngnányà, Rìběn, Hánguó, Běiměi, Ōuzhōu, shènzhì Lādīng Měizhōu, Fēizhōu yǔ Zhōngdōng de zhǔyào yuányīn. [Pinyin]
    From humble beginnings of making white or black tapioca pearls (hereinafter referred to as just pearls) out of cassava flour, now, there are pearls in all sorts of colors or popping boba (also called magic beans or fruit balls), plus matching ingredients like pudding, grass jelly, fruit, etc. with seasoning, syrup, and tea leaves to create endless combinations. It can be said that this is the principal reason for the bubble tea industry's gradual development from Taiwan to Hong Kong, Mainland China, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, North America, Europe, and even Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East.

#### Synonyms

* (Chinese mesona):
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | Formal (Written Standard Chinese) | 仙草 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 仙草 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 涼粉草 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 涼粉草 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 仙人草 |
| Hakka | Xingning | 仙人草 |
| Hakka | Huidong (Daling) | 涼粉草 |
| Hakka | Shaoguan (Qujiang) | 涼粉草 |
| Hakka | Lianshan (Xiaosanjiang) | 涼粉草 |
| Hakka | Changting | 仙人草 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Wuping (Pingyu) | 仙人草 |
| Hakka | Liancheng | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Ninghua | 仙人草 |
| Hakka | Ruijin | 仙米凍草 |
| Hakka | Shicheng | 涼水坨 |
| Hakka | Miaoli (N. Sixian) | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian) | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu) | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu) | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping) | 仙草 |
| Hakka | Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 草粿草 |
* (grass jelly):
| Variety | Location | Words |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Taiwan | 仙草凍, 仙草 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Malaysia | 涼粉 |
| Northeastern Mandarin | Singapore | 仙草 |
| Southwestern Mandarin | Guilin | 涼粉 |
| Cantonese | Guangzhou | 涼粉, 涼粉草 |
| Cantonese | Hong Kong | 涼粉 |
| Cantonese | Taishan | 涼粉 |
| Cantonese | Dongguan | 涼粉 |
| Cantonese | Penang (Guangfu) | 涼粉 |
| Cantonese | Singapore (Guangfu) | 涼粉 |
| Gan | Lichuan | 仙草糕 |
| Hakka | Meixian | 仙人粄 |
| Hakka | Wuping | 仙草凍, 仙水凍 |
| Southern Min | Xiamen | 青草凍 |
| Southern Min | Zhangzhou | 田草凍, 田草 |
| Southern Min | Taipei | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Tamsui) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | New Taipei (Sanxia) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Cijin) | 田草 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Hongmaogang, Siaogang) | 清草 |
| Southern Min | Kaohsiung (Dalinpu, Siaogang) | 田草 |
| Southern Min | Yilan | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Yilan (Toucheng) | 田草, 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Changhua (Lukang) | 青草 |
| Southern Min | Taichung | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Tainan | 田草 |
| Southern Min | Tainan (Anping) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Hsinchu | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Kinmen | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Magong) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Penghu (Xiyu) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Penang (Hokkien) | 涼粉 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hokkien) | 清草 |
| Southern Min | Manila (Hokkien) | 仙草 |
| Southern Min | Chaozhou | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Shantou | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Jieyang | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Bangkok (Teochew) | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Hat Yai (Teochew) | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Ho Chi Minh City (Teochew) | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Teochew) | 草粿 |
| Southern Min | Qionghai | 清草 |
| Southern Min | Singapore (Hainanese) | 清草 |

#### Derived terms

* 仙草凍 / 仙草冻 (xiāncǎodòng)
* 仙草蜜

### References

* 莆田市政协文化文史和学习委员会 [Culture, History and Learning Committee of Putian CPPCC], editor (2021), “仙草”, in 莆仙方言大词典 [Comprehensive Dictionary of Puxian Dialect] (overall work in Mandarin and Puxian Min), Xiamen University Press, →ISBN, page 474.