豆腐

Chinese

		bean; sacrificial vessel	decay; rotten
simp. and trad. (豆腐)		豆	腐
alternative forms		豆付 obsolete
anagram		腐豆

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Standard)

  (Pinyin): dòufu, dòufǔ

  (Zhuyin): ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ, ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨˇ

  (Chengdu, Sichuanese Pinyin): dou⁴ fu³

• Cantonese

  (Guangzhou–Hong Kong, Jyutping): dau⁶ fu⁶

  (Taishan, Wiktionary): eu⁵ fu⁵

• Gan (Wiktionary): teu⁵ fu
• Hakka

  (Sixian, PFS): theu-fu

  (Meixian, Guangdong): têu⁴ fu⁴

• Jin (Wiktionary): dou³ fu²
• Northern Min (KCR): dē-hū
• Eastern Min (BUC): dâu^→dâ-hô^→hâu
• Southern Min

  (Hokkien, POJ): tāu-hū / tāu-hǔ

  (Teochew, Peng'im): dao⁷ hu⁷

  (Leizhou, Leizhou Pinyin): dao¹ hu¹

• Wu (Northern, Wugniu): ⁶deu-vu; ⁶deu-wu / ⁶deu-vu

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Mainland, variant in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dòufu
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄡˋ ˙ㄈㄨ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dòufů
    • Wade–Giles: tou⁴-fu⁵
    • Yale: dòu-fu
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dow.fu
    • Palladius: доуфу (doufu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /toʊ̯⁵¹ fu¹/
      
  • (Standard Chinese, standard in Taiwan)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: dòufǔ
    • Zhuyin: ㄉㄡˋ ㄈㄨˇ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: dòufǔ
    • Wade–Giles: tou⁴-fu³
    • Yale: dòu-fǔ
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: dowfuu
    • Palladius: доуфу (doufu)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /toʊ̯⁵¹ fu²¹⁴⁻²¹⁽⁴⁾/
  • (Chengdu)
    • Sichuanese Pinyin: dou⁴ fu³
    • Scuanxua Ladinxua Xin Wenz: doufu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /təu²¹³ fu⁵³/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: dau⁶ fu⁶
    • Yale: dauh fuh
    • Cantonese Pinyin: dau⁶ fu⁶
    • Guangdong Romanization: deo⁶ fu⁶
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tɐu̯²² fuː²²/
  • (Taishanese, Taicheng)
    • Wiktionary: eu⁵ fu⁵
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /eu³² fu³²/
• Gan
  • (Nanchang)
    • Wiktionary: teu⁵ fu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tʰɛu¹¹ fu¹/
• Hakka
  • (Sixian, incl. Miaoli and Meinong)
    • Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: theu-fu
    • Hakka Romanization System: teu fu
    • Hagfa Pinyim: teu⁴ fu⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰeu̯⁵⁵ fu⁵⁵/
  • (Meixian)
    • Guangdong: têu⁴ fu⁴
    • Sinological IPA: /tʰeu⁵³⁻⁵⁵ fu⁵³/
• Jin
  • (Taiyuan)⁺
    • Wiktionary: dou³ fu²
    • Sinological IPA (old-style): /təu⁴⁵ fu⁵³/
• Northern Min
  • (Jian'ou)
    • Kienning Colloquial Romanized: dē-hū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /te⁵⁵ xu⁵⁵/
• Eastern Min
  • (Fuzhou)
    • Bàng-uâ-cê: dâu^→dâ-hô^→hâu
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /ta²⁴²⁻⁵³ ^(h-)ɑu²⁴²/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese, Singapore)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāu-hū
    • Tâi-lô: tāu-hū
    • Phofsit Daibuun: dauxhu
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /tau⁴¹⁻²² hu⁴¹/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Singapore): /tau²²⁻²¹ hu²²/
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /tau³³⁻²¹ hu³³/
    • IPA (Taipei): /tau³³⁻¹¹ hu³³/
  • (Hokkien: Lukang)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: tāu-hǔ
    • Tâi-lô: tāu-hǔ
    • IPA (Lukang): /tau³¹⁻²² hu³³/
  • (Teochew)
    • Peng'im: dao⁷ hu⁷
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī-like: tāu hū
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /tau¹¹ hu¹¹/
  • (Leizhou)
    • Leizhou Pinyin: dao¹ hu¹
    • Sinological IPA: /tau³⁵⁻³³ hu³⁵/
• Wu
  • (Northern: Shanghai)
    • Wugniu: ⁶deu-vu; ⁶deu-wu
    • MiniDict: deu^去 vu; deu^去 wu
    • Wiktionary Romanisation (Shanghai): ³deu-vu; ³deu-hhu
    • Sinological IPA (Shanghai): /dɤ²² vu⁴⁴/, /dɤ²² ɦu⁴⁴/
  • (Northern: Suzhou)
    • Wugniu: ⁶deu-vu
    • MiniDict: deu^去 vu
    • Sinological IPA (Suzhou): /døy²³ vu¹¹/

---

• Middle Chinese: duwH bjuX

Rime
Character	豆	腐
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	定 (7)	並 (3)
Final (韻)	侯 (137)	虞 (24)
Tone (調)	Departing (H)	Rising (X)
Openness (開合)	Open	Closed
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	田候切	扶雨切
Baxter	duwH	bjuX
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/dəuH/	/bɨoX/
Pan Wuyun	/dəuH/	/bioX/
Shao Rongfen	/dəuH/	/bioX/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/dəwH/	/buə̆X/
Li Rong	/duH/	/bioX/
Wang Li	/dəuH/	/bĭuX/
Bernard Karlgren	/dʱə̯uH/	/bʱi̯uX/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	dòu	fù
Expected Cantonese Reflex	dau6	fu6

Noun

豆腐

1. tofu; bean curd (Classifier: 塊／块 m c; 嚿 c; 磚／砖 c)
2. any food with tofu-like physical quality

   魚豆腐／鱼豆腐  ―  yúdòufǔ  ―  fish tofu

   血豆腐  ―  xuèdòufǔ  ―  blood tofu

   杏仁豆腐  ―  xìngréndòufǔ  ―  anin tofu

Synonyms

Dialectal synonyms of 豆腐 (“tofu; bean curd”) [map]

Variety	Location	Words edit
Formal (Written Standard Chinese)		豆腐
Northeastern Mandarin	Beijing	豆腐
	Taiwan	豆腐
	Singapore	豆腐
Jilu Mandarin	Jinan	豆腐
Jiaoliao Mandarin	Yantai (Muping)	豆腐
Central Plains Mandarin	Luoyang	豆腐
	Wanrong	豆腐
	Xi'an	豆腐
	Xining	豆腐
	Xuzhou	豆腐
Lanyin Mandarin	Yinchuan	豆腐
	Ürümqi	豆腐
Southwestern Mandarin	Chengdu	豆腐
	Wuhan	豆腐
	Guiyang	豆腐
	Liuzhou	豆腐
Jianghuai Mandarin	Nanjing	豆腐
	Yangzhou	豆腐
	Hefei	豆腐
Cantonese	Guangzhou	豆腐
	Hong Kong	豆腐
	Dongguan	豆腐
	Yangjiang	豆腐
	Singapore (Guangfu)	豆腐
Gan	Nanchang	豆乾
	Lichuan	豆腐
	Pingxiang	豆腐
Hakka	Meixian	豆腐, 豆乾
	Yudu	豆腐
	Miaoli (N. Sixian)	豆腐
	Pingtung (Neipu; S. Sixian)	豆腐
	Hsinchu County (Zhudong; Hailu)	豆腐
	Taichung (Dongshi; Dabu)	豆腐
	Hsinchu County (Qionglin; Raoping)	豆腐
	Yunlin (Lunbei; Zhao'an)	豆腐
Huizhou	Jixi	豆腐
Jin	Taiyuan	豆腐
	Xinzhou	豆腐
Northern Min	Jian'ou	豆腐
Eastern Min	Fuzhou	豆腐
Southern Min	Xiamen	豆腐
	Taipei	豆腐
	New Taipei (Sanxia)	豆腐
	Kaohsiung	豆腐
	Yilan	豆腐
	Changhua (Lukang)	豆腐
	Taichung	豆腐
	Tainan	豆腐
	Hsinchu	豆腐
	Kinmen	豆腐
	Penghu (Magong)	豆腐
	Penang (Hokkien)	豆腐
	Singapore (Hokkien)	豆腐
	Manila (Hokkien)	豆腐
	Chaozhou	豆腐
	Shantou	豆乾
	Shantou (Chenghai)	豆乾
	Shantou (Chaoyang)	豆腐
	Nan'ao (Houzhai)	豆乾
	Nan'ao (Yun'ao)	豆乾
	Singapore (Teochew)	豆腐
	Leizhou	豆腐, 豆腐白
	Haikou	豆腐
Zhongshan Min	Sanxiang	豆腐
Southern Pinghua	Nanning (Tingzi)	豆腐
Wu	Shanghai	豆腐
	Shanghai (Chongming)	豆腐
	Suzhou	豆腐
	Danyang	豆腐
	Hangzhou	豆腐
	Ningbo	豆腐
	Wenzhou	豆腐
	Jinhua	豆腐
Xiang	Changsha	豆腐, 水片子, 和尚肉 humorous
	Loudi	豆腐
	Shuangfeng	豆腐

• (obsolete) 豆脯, 菽乳

Adjective

豆腐

1. weak, crumbling, easy to fall

Derived terms

• 冬瓜豆腐
• 凍豆腐／冻豆腐
• 刀切豆腐
• 刀子嘴豆腐心 (dāozi zuǐ dòufu xīn)
• 北豆腐
• 南豆腐
• 吃豆腐 (chī dòufu)
• 呃鬼食豆腐
• 外甥食母舅，親像食豆腐／外甥食母舅，亲像食豆腐
• 杏仁豆腐
• 水豆腐
• 沒肉也有四兩豆腐／没肉也有四两豆腐
• 炸豆腐丸子
• 磨豆腐
• 糟豆腐
• 老豆腐 (lǎodòufu)
• 臭豆腐 (chòudòufu)
• 血豆腐 (xuèdòufu)
• 豆腐乳 (dòufurǔ)
• 豆腐乾／豆腐干
• 豆腐刀
• 豆腐嘴，刀子心
• 豆腐囝
• 豆腐婆
• 豆腐官
• 豆腐心
• 豆腐棗／豆腐枣
• 豆腐水
• 豆腐泡 (dòufupāo)
• 豆腐渣 (dòufuzhā)
• 豆腐漿／豆腐浆 (dòufujiāng)
• 豆腐皮 (dòufupí)
• 豆腐盤成肉價錢／豆腐盘成肉价钱 (dòufu pán chéng ròu jiàqián)
• 豆腐箸
• 豆腐腦／豆腐脑 (dòufunǎo)
• 豆腐膶／豆腐𬂀
• 豆腐花 (dòufuhuā)
• 豆腐蠣／豆腐蛎
• 豆腐衣
• 豆腐西施
• 豆腐飯／豆腐饭
• 豆腐鯊／豆腐鲨 (dòufushā)
• 酸黃虀爛豆腐／酸黄虀烂豆腐
• 醬豆腐／酱豆腐 (jiàngdòufu)
• 釀豆腐／酿豆腐 (niàngdòufu)
• 關公賣豆腐／关公卖豆腐
• 關王賣豆腐／关王卖豆腐
• 食豆腐
• 馬尾中鬃豆腐／马尾中鬃豆腐
• 馬尾兒穿豆腐／马尾儿穿豆腐
• 魚豆腐／鱼豆腐 (yúdòufu)
• 鹹菜燒豆腐／咸菜烧豆腐
• 麻婆豆腐 (mápó dòufu)
• 麻豆腐

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (豆腐):

• → Japanese: 豆(とう)腐(ふ) (tōfu) (see there for further descendants)
• → Korean: 두부(豆腐) (dubu)
• → Vietnamese: đậu hủ (豆腐), đậu phụ (豆腐)

Others:

• → Amis: tawhu, tawho
• → Bikol Central: taho
• → Bouyei: duehfuh
• → Burmese: တိုဟူး (tuihu:)
• → Cebuano: taho
• → Classical Mongolian: ᠳᠡᠦᠹᠦ (deüfü)
  • Mongolian: ᠳ᠋ᠧᠦᠹᠦ᠋ (dēüfü), дүүпүү (düüpüü)
• → Daur: ᡩ᠋ᡝ᠋ᠣᡶ᠋ᡠ (deofu), dueb
• → English: bean curd (calque)
• → Indonesian: tahu (via Min Nan), tofu (via Japanese)
• → Khmer: តៅហ៊ូ (tawhuu)
• → Lao: ເຕົາຮູ້ (tao hū)
• → Lü: ᦷᦏᧈᦝᦴ (ṫho¹fuu) (via Mandarin)
• → Macanese: taufú, tafú
• → Malay: tauhu
• → Manchu: ᡩᡝᡶᡠ (defu)
• → Russian: то́фу (tófu)
• → Saisiyat: tawho:
• → Nuosu: ꄔꃛ (dut fup)
• → Tagalog: taho
• → Thai: เต้าหู้ (dtâo-hûu) (via Teochew)
  • → Lü: ᦎᧁᧉᦠᦴᧉ (ṫaw²ḣuu²)
• → Tibetan: ཏོའུ་ཧྥུ (to'u hphu)
• → Vietnamese: tàu hủ (“tofu pudding”) (Southern), tào phớ (“tofu pudding”) (Northern)
• → Uyghur: دۇفۇ (dufu)
• → Zhuang: daeuhfouh

Further reading

• “Entry #3504”, in 臺灣閩南語常用詞辭典 [Dictionary of Frequently-Used Taiwan Minnan] (overall work in Mandarin and Hokkien), Ministry of Education, R.O.C., 2023.

Japanese

豆腐 (tōfu): seasoned cubes of tofu.

Kanji in this term
豆	腐
とう Grade: 3	ふ Grade: S
on’yomi

Etymology

From Middle Chinese 豆腐 (MC duwH bjuX, literally “bean + curdled”). Compare modern Mandarin reading dòufu.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) とーふ [tòófú] (Heiban – [0])
• (Tokyo) とーふ​ [tòófúꜜ] (Odaka – [3])
• IPA^(key): [to̞ːɸɯ̟ᵝ]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

豆(とう)腐(ふ) • (tōfu)  (counter 丁)

1. tofu, bean curd

   Synonym: (dialectal, Kagoshima) おかべ

2. (computing) tofu, an empty rectangle displayed by some systems in place of a character not supported by available fonts.

Derived terms

Derived terms

• 絹(きぬ)漉(ご)し豆(どう)腐(ふ) (kinugoshidōfu): silken tofu, soft tofu
• 木(も)綿(めん)豆(どう)腐(ふ) (momendōfu): cotton tofu, hard tofu
• 凍(し)み豆(どう)腐(ふ) (shimidōfu): dried tofu
• 杏仁(あんにん)豆(どう)腐(ふ) (annindōfu): annin tofu
• 焼(や)き豆(どう)腐(ふ) (yakidōfu): seared tofu
• 湯(ゆ)豆(どう)腐(ふ) (yudōfu): a cuisine of simmered tofu
• 豆(とう)腐(ふ)餻(よう) (tōfuyō): a fermented tofu of Okinawa
• 豆(とう)腐(ふ)化(ば)け (tōfubake): a form of corrupted text display, where code points that are not included in the current font are instead displayed with empty rectangles that resemble blocks of tofu

Related terms

Related terms

• 苦汁(にがり) (nigari): bittern, brine salt used as a coagulant in making tofu
• 豆乳(とうにゅう) (tōnyū): soy milk

Descendants

• → Czech: tofu
• → English: tofu
• → Finnish: tofu
• → French: tofu
• → Indonesian: tofu
• → Italian: tofu
• → Portuguese: tofu
• → Spanish: tofu

 

Korean

Hanja in this term
豆	腐

Noun

豆腐 • (dubu) (hangeul 두부)

1. Hanja form^? of 두부 (“tofu”).

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
豆	腐

Noun

豆腐

1. chữ Hán form of đậu hủ (“tofu”).
2. chữ Hán form of đậu phụ (“tofu”).