食粮 (shí liáng) — grain, food

Definition

Literary word for 'food / grain', often used metaphorically for spiritual or intellectual nourishment (e.g. 精神食粮). More formal and figurative than the everyday 食物.

noun
grainfood
Measure word · 种

Examples

  • 食粮。
    Dà mǐ shì zhòng yào de shí liáng.
    Rice is an important grain food.
  • 食粮。
    Shū jí shì jīng shén shí liáng.
    Books are spiritual food.
  • 食粮。
    Zhè ge guó jiā xū yào gèng duō de shí liáng.
    This country needs more grain and food.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

食shífood
粮liánggrain

食粮 puts 食 food and 粮 grain together, meaning sustenance.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 亼亼jímouth
  • 皀皀jía bowl of rice on a stand

The form behind 食 shows 亼, a mouth, together with 皀, a bowl of rice on a stand. In modern 食, the bowl part has changed shape.

Open 食 →

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
米米mǐfood
Sound part声符shēngfú
良
良liáng粮liáng
Same sound today

粮 puts 米 (food) beside 良, which gives the sound liáng.

Open 粮 →

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