Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
饴 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
饴yísyrup; sweet-meat, sweet-caken, 8 strokes, radical 饣, rank #89707, Very Hard
yí(yi2)yi T2
  1. 1syrup; sweet-meat, sweet-cake
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

饴(飴)yí(yi2)

饴 (yí) refers to a type of sweet syrup or candy, often made from sugar or honey. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese sweets and can also refer to sweet-meat or sweet-cake. This term is frequently found in contexts related to food, especially in discussions about desserts and confections.

Strokes8Radical饣Frequency#89707DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, sweets like 饴 are often associated with festivals and celebrations, such as the Lunar New Year, where they symbolize good fortune and happiness. Traditional sweet treats are an integral part of Chinese hospitality.

Memory Tip

Imagine a child joyfully eating a sticky syrupy candy (饴) that brings them immense happiness. The character 饴 looks like a mouth (口) enjoying something delicious, while the radical 食 (food) represents its relation to sweet treats.

Meanings of 饴

yí(yi2)
1syrup; sweet-meat, sweet-cake
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 饴 means.

About 饴

饴Simplified
飴Traditional
8Strokes
饣Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 饴

JasonAmy

Podcast: 饴

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 饴

Quick Contrast

糖 (táng) refers specifically to sugar, while 饴 (yí) denotes a type of sweet syrup or candy, making 饴 more specific in the context of confections.

Usage Notes

Be cautious when using 饴 in casual conversation, as it is more often found in literary or formal contexts. Common collocations include 饴糖 (syrup candy) and traditional sweets. Note that the tone of 'yí' is second tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words.

HSK Study Tips

Although 饴 is not included in the HSK vocabulary list, understanding it can enhance your knowledge of culinary terms. Focus on recognizing how it relates to other food-related words and the cultural significance of sweets in Chinese celebrations.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 饴 with similar-sounding characters like 依 (yī, to rely on). Remember that 饴 relates specifically to sweets, while 依 has a different meaning. For example, saying '我喜欢依' (I like to rely) instead of '我喜欢饴' (I like sweets) would be incorrect.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 饴

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 饴 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Jason Explains 饴 to You

Let me explain 饴 for you

Make it yours

Jason looks at what you watch and listen to, the checkpoints you have cleared, our lessons and what you have been exploring, and explains 饴 through them.

Sign in free to make it personal. New accounts start with 300 AI credits.

How Well Do You Know 饴?

Example

Learning Lab

Knowing 饴 is seven skills, not one.

Its meaning, its character, its pinyin, its tone — hearing it, saying it, writing it. The Learning Lab measures each one from your own practice, on every word you study, so you see what you actually know rather than how much you have done.

  • MeaningFree
  • CharacterFree
  • PinyinFree
  • TonePro
  • ListeningPro
  • SpeakingPro
  • WritingPro
See the Learning Lab Three facets free · no card needed

Etymology of 饴

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

food

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

Origin

饴 = 饣 + 台. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 饴

IDS Structure⿰饣台
饴Full Character
=
饣shi2
left
台Tai2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 饴?

How to say syrup; sweet-meat, sweet-cake in Chinese

“syrup; sweet-meat, sweet-cake” in Chinese is饴yí

饴 (yí) refers to a type of sweet syrup or candy, often made from sugar or honey. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese sweets and can also refer to sweet-meat or sweet-cake. This term is frequently found in contexts related to food, especially in discussions about desserts and confections.

When to use 饴

Be cautious when using 饴 in casual conversation, as it is more often found in literary or formal contexts. Common collocations include 饴糖 (syrup candy) and traditional sweets. Note that the tone of 'yí' is second tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words.

饴 or something close to it

糖 (táng) refers specifically to sugar, while 饴 (yí) denotes a type of sweet syrup or candy, making 饴 more specific in the context of confections.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 饴 with similar-sounding characters like 依 (yī, to rely on). Remember that 饴 relates specifically to sweets, while 依 has a different meaning. For example, saying '我喜欢依' (I like to rely) instead of '我喜欢饴' (I like sweets) would be incorrect.

Write 饴

饴

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Ask Jason

Have a question about 饴?

Jason answers about this word at your level: example sentences, how it differs from similar words, and a way to remember it.

Sign in free to ask. New accounts start with 300 AI credits.

Word Family of 饴

Words Containing This Character4
饴糖malt sugar飴糖
饴yísyrup飴
甘之如饴a glutton for punishment甘之如飴
糖饴malt sugar糖飴
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 饴

What does 饴糖 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 饴

饴 can be found in various traditional candies and desserts, often used in recipes for sweet soups or sticky rice dishes.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 饴?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.

A sample week, replayed. Every page you study lands here in the order you did it — your own replay starts with a free account.

See the Learning Lab