水稻

• Pinyin: shuǐ dào
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = flowing water; 稻 = 禾 (grain) + 臼 (mortar) — grain that is husked by pounding, grown in water

Meaning

Paddy rice; wet rice. The variety of rice cultivated in flooded or irrigated fields, the dominant staple grain of southern China and much of Asia.

Distinct from 旱稻 (dry-field rice). 水稻 cultivation shaped the culture, economy, and landscape of southern China for millennia. It is central to discussions of food security, rural economy, and agricultural policy in China.

Examples

1. 南方农村以种植水稻为主，一年可以收获两季。 In rural areas in the south, rice farming is the main livelihood, and two harvests a year are possible.
2. 袁隆平培育的杂交水稻为解决世界粮食问题做出了重大贡献。 Yuan Longping’s hybrid rice made a major contribution to addressing the world’s food problem.
3. 水稻插秧季节，整个村庄的农民都会下田劳作。 During rice-transplanting season, farmers from the whole village head into the fields to work.

Usage Guide

Context: agriculture, food security, rural life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 中国南方的水稻产量对全国粮食供应至关重要。(The paddy rice yield in southern China is crucial to the nation's grain supply.)
• 科学家正在研究耐旱水稻品种，以应对气候变化带来的挑战。(Scientists are researching drought-resistant paddy rice varieties to address challenges posed by climate change.)

Don't Say

• 水稻和大米是一个东西 — 水稻 is the living plant in the field; 大米 is the processed, edible grain; they are related but not interchangeable

Origin & History

水 (water) + 稻 (rice plant) — rice that grows in water

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal