香米 (xiāng mǐ) — fragrant rice, scented rice

Definition

noun
fragrant ricescented rice

Examples

  • 香米。
    Zhè zhǒng xiāng mǐ zhǔ chū lái tè bié xiāng.
    This kind of fragrant rice smells especially good when cooked.
  • 香米。
    Tài guó xiāng mǐ hěn yǒu míng.
    Thai fragrant rice is very famous.
  • 香米。
    Wǒ mǎi le yí dài xiāng mǐ zuò chǎo fàn.
    I bought a bag of fragrant rice to make fried rice.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

香xiāngfragrant
米mǐrice

香 gives fragrant, and 米 gives rice, naming scented rice.

Characters in this word

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

香's early form paired 黍 (glutinous millet) with 口 (mouth), perhaps showing millet drink being taken in or offered.

Open 香 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

米 is a picture of rice kernels without husk, with the horizontal stroke as a bamboo sieve. It is unrelated to similar-looking grain characters.

Open 米 →

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