(gāo) — cake; pudding (steamed cake or pastry)

Definition

noun
cakepudding (steamed cake or pastry)
Measure word ·

Examples

  • Wǒ mǎi le yí kuài gāo.
    I bought a piece of cake.
  • Zhè ge gāo yòu ruǎn yòu tián.
    This cake is both soft and sweet.
  • Mā ma zuò de gāo hěn hǎo chī.
    Mom's homemade cake is very tasty.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
rice
Sound part声符shēngfú
gāogāo
Same sound today

糕 pairs 米 (rice) with 羔 (lamb). 米 points to a rice-flour food, and 羔 gives the sound; since lamb can be cooked, it may also hint at food.

Appears in

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