Rice in Chinese
The Chinese word for "rice" is 米饭 (mǐ fàn). It is built from "米饭 = 米 (rice grain) + 饭 (cooked food, a meal)". Chinese separates the stages English calls 'rice': 米饭 is cooked rice in a bowl, 米 or 大米 is the raw grain, and 饭 is a meal as well as cooked rice.
Chinese words for rice
| Chinese | Pinyin | English | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| 米饭 | mǐ fàn | rice | The default answer. |
| 米 | mǐ | raw rice, grain | Uncooked rice grains; also hulled grain of other kinds, as in 小米 millet. |
| 大米 | dà mǐ | rice (the grain) | Rice as a product you buy, sold by the 斤 or the bag. |
| 饭 | fàn | meal; cooked rice | A meal in general, as in 吃饭 and 做饭, and also cooked rice. |
| 水稻 | shuǐ dào | rice plant, paddy rice | Rice growing in the field, in farming and geography contexts. |
Example sentences
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我要一碗米饭。 | wǒ yào yī wǎn mǐ fàn. | I'd like a bowl of rice. |
| 你吃饭了吗？ | nǐ chī fàn le ma? | Have you eaten? |
| 超市里的大米很便宜。 | chāo shì lǐ de dà mǐ hěn pián yi. | The rice at the supermarket is very cheap. |
| 今天我来做饭。 | jīn tiān wǒ lái zuò fàn. | I'll cook today. |
The characters in 米饭
| Character | Pinyin | Meaning here |
|---|---|---|
| 米 | mǐ | rice grain, hulled grain; also meter |
| 饭 | fàn | cooked rice, meal; 饣 (food) on the left, 反 fǎn giving the sound |
Common mistakes
- 吃饭 means to eat a meal, not specifically rice; 你吃饭了吗 is a friendly greeting.
- 米 alone also means meter: 一米 is one meter, so for a bowl of rice say 一碗米饭.
- Raw rice is 米 or 大米; 米饭 is only cooked rice.
Related
Frequently asked questions
How do you say rice in Chinese?
米饭 (mǐ fàn), literally "米饭 = 米 (rice grain) + 饭 (cooked food, a meal)". Other ways: 米 (mǐ); 大米 (dà mǐ); 饭 (fàn).
How do I order rice in a Chinese restaurant?
Say 来一碗米饭 (lái yī wǎn mǐ fàn), 'a bowl of rice, please'. Fried rice is 炒饭 (chǎo fàn).
Does 吃饭 mean 'eat rice'?
Usually not. 吃饭 means to eat, to have a meal, whatever is served; for rice specifically say 吃米饭.
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