What does the Cantonese name “chow mein” literally translate as in English?

The Cantonese name “chow mein” literally translates as “stir-fried noodles.”

The English name comes from the Cantonese pronunciation of 炒麵, written in Mandarin pinyin as chǎomiàn. The first character means “stir-fry,” while the second refers to noodles. Chow mein therefore describes a noodle dish prepared by stir-frying noodles, commonly with vegetables, meat, seafood or tofu.

Chow mein varies substantially around the world. In some Chinese-American versions, noodles are fried until crisp; in others, soft noodles are tossed with the other ingredients. This difference in texture can cause confusion, but both styles use the same broad dish name. Chow mein should also not be confused with chow fun, which uses broad, flat rice noodles rather than the wheat noodles usually associated with chow mein.