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米饭
mǐ fàn
steamed rice
晚饭我们吃米饭和炒菜。
For dinner, we eat steamed rice and stir-fried dishes.
formal
Steamed rice, typically made from white rice, served as a staple food.
中国人习惯把米饭当作主食。
Chinese people are used to having steamed rice as a staple food.
这家餐馆的米饭特别软糯。
The steamed rice at this restaurant is especially soft and glutinous.
In some regions, '米饭' can refer to any cooked rice dish, including fried rice, but the literal meaning is steamed rice.
Pro Tip
Distinguishing '米饭' from '饭'
'饭' alone can mean 'cooked rice' or 'meal' in general, while '米饭' specifically refers to steamed rice. For example, '吃饭' (chī fàn) means 'to eat a meal,' but '吃米饭' (chī mǐ fàn) means 'to eat steamed rice.'
Word Origin
From 米 (mǐ, 'rice') + 饭 (fàn, 'cooked rice' or 'meal'). The word combines the two characters to specifically mean steamed rice.
Usage Notes
In Chinese cuisine, '米饭' is the default term for steamed rice. It is rarely used to refer to other rice dishes like fried rice unless specified. The term is uncountable in Chinese (no plural form).
Word Breakdown
米
rice (uncooked)
root饭
cooked rice or meal
root汉英词典