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糧 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
糧liángfood, grain, provisionsx, 18 strokes, radical 米
liáng(liang2) T2
  1. 1food, grain, provisions
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

糧liáng(liang2)

The character 糧 (liáng) refers to food, particularly grain and provisions used for sustenance. It is often used in contexts related to agriculture, nutrition, and food supply, indicating essential resources for survival.

Strokes18Radical米
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, grain is considered a staple and is deeply tied to agricultural traditions. Festivals like the Mid-Autumn Festival often celebrate the harvest of grains, highlighting their importance in Chinese society.

Memory Tip

Think of 糧 (liáng) as a grain field: the top part of the character resembles a stalk of grain, while the bottom part suggests a container holding this essential food. Imagine a farmer gathering grains to feed their family, reinforcing both the meaning and pronunciation.

Meanings of 糧

liáng(liang2)
1food, grain, provisions
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 糧

糧Simplified
18Strokes
米Radical
非语素字non-morpheme character (n-m.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 糧

JasonAmy

Podcast: 糧

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 糧

Quick Contrast

粮 (liáng) vs 食 (shí) — use 糧 (liáng) for grain and provisions, while 食 (shí) refers more broadly to food or eating.

Usage Notes

Be aware that 糧 is more formal and is often used in written contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include 糧食 (liángshí, meaning 'grain/food') and 糧草 (liángcǎo, meaning 'fodder'). Also, ensure you use the correct third tone when pronouncing this character.

HSK Study Tips

As 糧 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, learners should relate it to other food-related words, such as 食 (shí, food) and 饭 (fàn, rice/meal). Focus on the concept of sustenance and how it connects to daily life in China.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 糧 with 食, using it interchangeably in casual conversation. Instead, remember 糧 is more formal and specific to grains, while 食 is used for food in general.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 糧

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Etymology of 糧

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 米 represents the meaning and 良 represents the sound. Simplified form of 糧.

Memory Hint

grain

Semantic (meaning)米
+
Phonetic (sound)量
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 糧

Phonosemantic compound. 米 represents the meaning and 良 represents the sound. Simplified form of 糧.

  1. 1The meaning half米 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half量 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaygrain
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 糧? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 糧?

Decomposition of 糧

IDS Structure⿰米量
糧Full Character
=
米Mi3
left
量liang2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 糧?

How to say food, grain, provisions in Chinese

“food, grain, provisions” in Chinese is糧liáng

The character 糧 (liáng) refers to food, particularly grain and provisions used for sustenance. It is often used in contexts related to agriculture, nutrition, and food supply, indicating essential resources for survival.

When to use 糧

Be aware that 糧 is more formal and is often used in written contexts rather than everyday conversation. Common collocations include 糧食 (liángshí, meaning 'grain/food') and 糧草 (liángcǎo, meaning 'fodder'). Also, ensure you use the correct third tone when pronouncing this character.

糧 or something close to it

粮 (liáng) vs 食 (shí) — use 糧 (liáng) for grain and provisions, while 食 (shí) refers more broadly to food or eating.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 糧 with 食, using it interchangeably in casual conversation. Instead, remember 糧 is more formal and specific to grains, while 食 is used for food in general.

Write 糧

糧

Practice writing 糧 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 糧

Words Containing This Character20
粮食liángshifoodstuff糧食
粮liánggrain糧
口粮ration口糧
粗粮coarse grains (maize, sorghum etc)粗糧
粮仓granary糧倉
干粮rations (to take on expedition)乾糧
粮草army provisions糧草
食粮food cereals食糧
粮票coupons for food or grain used in a PRC economic program c. 1955-1993糧票
弹尽粮绝out of ammunition and no food left (idiom); in desperate straits彈盡糧絕
五粮液Wuliangye liquor五糧液
军粮army provisions軍糧
杂粮grain crops other than rice and wheat雜糧
余粮surplus grain餘糧
皇粮lit. imperial funding for troops皇糧
公粮tax paid in grain公糧
商品粮commodity grain (grain produced as a commodity rather than for self-sufficiency)商品糧
钱粮land tax錢糧
储备粮grain reserves儲備糧
粮店grain store糧店
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 粮食 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 糧

No, 糧 is more commonly found in written texts and formal discussions about food supplies.

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