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糠 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
kāngchaff, bran, husk; poorn, 17 strokes, radical 米, rank #39507, Very Hard
kāng(kang1) T1
  1. 1chaff, bran, husk; poor
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(穅)kāng(kang1)

The character 糠 (kāng) refers to the outer husk or chaff of grains, which is often discarded during the milling process. It can also denote something of poor quality or value, reflecting its association with byproducts of agriculture. In some contexts, it may be used to describe something inferior or of low status.

Strokes17RadicalFrequency#39507DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, rice is a staple food, and the processing of rice involves separating the edible grain from the husk (糠), which is often used as animal feed, reflecting the importance of every part of the crop in traditional practices.

Memory Tip

Imagine a farmer named Kang who is surrounded by piles of chaff (糠) after harvesting rice. The sound 'kāng' can remind you of 'chaff' and the notion of something that is left behind and not valuable.

Meanings of 糠

kāng(kang1)
1chaff, bran, husk; poor
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 糠

Simplified
Traditional
17Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 糠

JasonAmy

Podcast:

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AI Study Notes for 糠

Quick Contrast

糠 (kāng) vs 粉 (fěn) — use 糠 for husks or chaff, while 粉 refers specifically to flour or powder.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a farmer named Kang who is surrounded by piles of chaff (糠) after harvesting rice. The sound 'kāng' can remind you of 'chaff' and the notion of something that is left behind and not valuable.

Usage Notes

When using 糠, be careful not to confuse it with similar-sounding characters. It is typically used in informal contexts; however, it can appear in agricultural discussions. Common collocations include 糠的价值 (the value of chaff) and 糠米 (husked rice).

HSK Study Tips

While 糠 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with other agricultural terms at HSK Level 3 and above. Students should focus on understanding its usage in context, especially when discussing food or farming.

Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, rice is a staple food, and the processing of rice involves separating the edible grain from the husk (糠), which is often used as animal feed, reflecting the importance of every part of the crop in traditional practices.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 糠 with similar characters like 糖 (táng, meaning sugar). For instance, saying 糠糖 (kāngtáng) instead of 糖 (táng) to mean sugar is incorrect; the correct term is 糖.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 糠

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Etymology of 糠

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

Phonosemantic compound. 米 represents the meaning and 康 represents the sound. Simplified form of 穅.

Memory Hint

rice

Semantic (meaning)
+
Phonetic (sound)
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 糠?

Decomposition of 糠

IDS Structure⿰米康
Full Character
=
Mi3
left
Kang1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 糠?

Write 糠

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 糠

糠 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 2

Complete the Sentence

肚饿____好吃,饥不择食.

Hunger will relish the plainest fare.

Example Sentences for 糠 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
肚饿糠好吃,饥不择食.

dù è kāng hǎo chī, , jī bù zé.

Hunger will relish the plainest fare.

Cultural Notes for 糠

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese culture, rice is a staple food, and the processing of rice involves separating the edible grain from the husk (糠), which is often used as animal feed, reflecting the importance of every part of the crop in traditional practices.

Word Family of 糠

Words Containing This Character9
kānghusk
米糠bran
糠醛furfural (chemistry)
筛糠to sift chaff篩糠
糟糠junk
谷糠grain chaff穀糠
吹糠见米instant results吹糠見米
稻糠rice husk
秕糠chaff
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 糠 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 糠

In culinary terms, 糠 refers to the waste material from grains that is not consumed, such as the chaff of rice.