米饭

• Pinyin: mǐ fàn
• Hanzi breakdown: 米 = pictograph of rice grains on a stalk; 饭 = 饣(food) + 反 (phonetic)

Meaning

Cooked rice. The staple food served at most Chinese meals.

Refers specifically to cooked white rice, as opposed to 米 which means uncooked rice grains. Rice is the most important staple food in southern China and a central part of Chinese food culture.

Examples

1. 我每天都吃米饭。 I eat rice every day.
2. 你想吃米饭还是面条？ Do you want rice or noodles?
3. 妈妈做的米饭很好吃。 The rice mom made is delicious.

Usage Guide

Context: food, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你要不要再来一碗米饭？(Do you want another bowl of rice?)
• 米饭配菜很好吃。(Rice with dishes is delicious.)

Don't Say

• 我想喝米饭。(Wrong verb — don't say 'drink' rice; say 吃米饭 since rice is eaten, not drunk)

Origin & History

A compound of 米 (rice grain) and 饭 (meal/cooked food), literally 'rice meal' — cooked rice ready to eat.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal