面包

• Pinyin: miàn bāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 面 = flour/surface; 包 = 勹 (wrap) + 巳 (phonetic), meaning to wrap

Meaning

Bread. Refers to all types of bread, from Western loaves to Asian-style soft bread.

A loanword concept that has become deeply integrated into daily Chinese. Chinese bakeries sell a wide variety of bread styles. Also appears in compound words like 面包店 (bakery) and 面包车 (van, literally 'bread car' due to its shape).

Examples

1. 早上我吃了一片面包。 I ate a slice of bread this morning.
2. 这个面包很好吃。 This bread is delicious.
3. 我去面包店买面包。 I'm going to the bakery to buy bread.

Usage Guide

Context: food, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你喜欢吃什么面包？(What kind of bread do you like?)
• 我每天早上吃面包。(I eat bread every morning.)

Don't Say

• 我要一块面包。(Not wrong, but measure words vary — 一片 for a slice, 一个 for a whole piece; 一块 sounds like a chunk)

Origin & History

A compound of 面 (flour/wheat) and 包 (wrap/bun), literally 'flour wrap' — dough that is baked.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal