饺子(jiǎo zi) - dumpling in Mandarin

饺子 (jiǎozi) is the dumpling, pleated dough parcels filled with minced meat and vegetables, boiled, steamed or fried. Note the tones: 饺 (jiǎo) carries the third tone, but 子 (zi) goes neutral, so it is jiǎozi, not jiǎozǐ. That neutral 子 (zi) is the standard "noun suffix" ending you will meet on plenty of everyday words, so it is worth hearing correctly from the start.

饺子 (jiǎozi) is deeply tied to Chinese New Year: families gather to 包饺子 (bāo jiǎozi), "fold dumplings", together the night before, and eating them is meant to bring luck for the year ahead. Outside the festival, they are ordinary comfort food, sold everywhere from street stalls to formal restaurants.

The measure word is 个 (gè), the same all-purpose counter used for people and most other objects: 一个饺子 (yí gè jiǎozi) is "one dumpling". Do not confuse 饺子 (jiǎozi) with 包子 (bāozi), a steamed bun with filling sealed entirely inside rather than pleated and visible at the top.