<p>vegetarianism 素食主义
means no animals for meals.</p>

<p>veganism 纯素主义
means no animals for meals or clothes.</p>

<p>However, these words are not popular in China. I don't think Chinese people even understand those <strong>jargons</strong>.</p>

<p>You'd better say 我不吃肉 (I don't eat meat) if you are a vegetarian, and you'd better say 我不吃肉，连衣服也不用动物制品 (I don't eat meat, not even animals for clothes) if you are a vegan.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-08-11T09:04:37.573Z
But veganism is as much about not having eggs or dairy as it is about not wearing wool or silk.
James K
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-08T07:34:47.073Z
2019-05-11T01:05:51.133Z
2019-05-11T01:05:51.133Z
Victor
<p>Wikipedia distinguishes them like this:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E7%B4%94%E7%B4%A0%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">维根主义（英语：Veganism）</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>and</p>

<blockquote>
  <p><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E7%B4%A0%E9%A3%9F%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9" rel="nofollow noreferrer">素食主义（英语：vegetarianism）</a></p>
</blockquote>

<p>维根 here is a transliterated loanword from English.</p>

<hr>

<p>Wikipedia also offers the translation:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>纯素主义 </p>
</blockquote>

<p>for veganism.</p>

<hr>

<p>Although these words, may, work in their written forms - you might generally not be understood using these words colloquially, because nobody really talks like this. Better alternatives would be:</p>

<ul>
<li>不吃肉 = vegetarianism</li>
<li>不吃动物(产)品 = veganism</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-08T07:28:58.453Z
vegetarian = 不吃肉。  vegan = 既不吃肉，也不用肉。
Victor
CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-06T12:43:30.907Z
2019-05-06T14:38:26.033Z
2019-05-06T14:38:26.033Z
Mou某
<p>A informal way to say it:<br>
vegetarian: 蛋奶素
vegan: 純素</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-06T15:50:17.430Z
2019-05-06T15:50:17.430Z
昨晚忘記呼吸
<p>see online dictionaries, e.g. <strong>linguee</strong>: 
vegan food
<strong>纯素食</strong>
​
veganism, a diet consisting solely of plant products
纯素食主义
​
a vegan
<strong>纯素食者</strong>
<strong>iciba</strong>:vegan n. <strong>严格的素食主义者</strong>；
n. A strict vegetarian;
​confirm: <strong>bkrs</strong>:纯素食vegan
vegan food</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-06T14:49:39.230Z
2019-05-06T14:49:39.230Z
user6065
<p>I'd like to know whether there is a way to distinguish vegetarian from vegan in Chinese or is the only word available 素食者？</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2019-05-06T14:49:49.500Z
Most people in China don’t understand the difference.
Blaszard
<word-requests>
Is there a way to distinguish "vegetarian" from "vegan" in Chinese?
# Is there a way to distinguish "vegetarian" from "vegan" in Chinese?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2019-05-06)

I'd like to know whether there is a way to distinguish vegetarian from vegan in Chinese or is the only word available 素食者？

**Tags:** word-requests

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Most people in China don’t understand the difference.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2019-05-08. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

vegetarianism 素食主义
means no animals for meals.

veganism 纯素主义
means no animals for meals or clothes.

However, these words are not popular in China. I don't think Chinese people even understand those **jargons**.

You'd better say 我不吃肉 (I don't eat meat) if you are a vegetarian, and you'd better say 我不吃肉，连衣服也不用动物制品 (I don't eat meat, not even animals for clothes) if you are a vegan.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: But veganism is as much about not having eggs or dairy as it is about not wearing wool or silk.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2019-05-06. Score: 4

Wikipedia distinguishes them like this:

> [维根主义（英语：Veganism）](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E7%B4%94%E7%B4%A0%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9)

and

> [素食主义（英语：vegetarianism）](https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/%E7%B4%A0%E9%A3%9F%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9)

维根 here is a transliterated loanword from English.

---

Wikipedia also offers the translation:

> 纯素主义

for veganism.

---

Although these words, may, work in their written forms - you might generally not be understood using these words colloquially, because nobody really talks like this. Better alternatives would be:

* 不吃肉 = vegetarianism
* 不吃动物(产)品 = veganism

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: vegetarian = 不吃肉。  vegan = 既不吃肉，也不用肉。  

---

### Answer by username_5 on 2019-05-06. Score: 3

A informal way to say it:  
vegetarian: 蛋奶素
vegan: 純素


---

### Answer by username_6 on 2019-05-06. Score: 1

see online dictionaries, e.g. **linguee**:
vegan food
**纯素食**
​
veganism, a diet consisting solely of plant products
纯素食主义
​
a vegan
**纯素食者**
**iciba**:vegan n. **严格的素食主义者**；
n. A strict vegetarian;
​confirm: **bkrs**:纯素食vegan
vegan food


---

