Skip to content
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
饷 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
xiǎngrations and pay for soldiersn, 9 strokes, radical 饣, Very Hard
xiǎngsoldier's payunknown, 9 strokes, radical 饣, Very Hard
xiǎng(xiang3) T3
  1. 1rations and pay for soldiers
  2. 2soldier's pay
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

(餉)xiǎng(xiang3)

饷 (xiǎng) refers to rations or pay specifically allocated for soldiers. This term is often used in military contexts to describe compensation provided to armed forces for their services, which can include food supplies as well as monetary payment.

Strokes9RadicalFrequency#—DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In ancient China, the provision of 饷 was crucial for maintaining troop morale and effectiveness, reflecting the importance of logistics in military history. This concept is still relevant in modern discussions about military funding.

Memory Tip

Imagine a soldier receiving a 'sack' of food and money as his pay. The character 饷 looks like a plate (the top part) filled with food (the bottom part). The 'xiǎng' sounds like 'sack', reminding you of the sack of rations he receives.

Meanings of 饷

xiǎng(xiang3)
1rations and pay for soldiers
2soldier's pay
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 饷

Simplified
Traditional
9Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 饷

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 饷

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a soldier receiving a 'sack' of food and money as his pay. The character 饷 looks like a plate (the top part) filled with food (the bottom part). The 'xiǎng' sounds like 'sack', reminding you of the sack of rations he receives.

Usage Notes

Be cautious with the tone when pronouncing xiǎng; the third tone can easily be confused with other similar-sounding words. 饷 is typically used in formal or historical contexts rather than everyday conversation, so it's best suited for discussions about military or historical matters.

HSK Study Tips

While 饷 is not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, understanding military-related terms can help expand your vocabulary at HSK Level 5 and beyond. Focus on related terms like 军 (jūn, army) and 兵 (bīng, soldier) to build contextual understanding.

Cultural Note

In ancient China, the provision of 饷 was crucial for maintaining troop morale and effectiveness, reflecting the importance of logistics in military history. This concept is still relevant in modern discussions about military funding.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 饷 with similar-sounding words like 享 (xiǎng, to enjoy). For example, using 饷 to mean 'enjoy' would be incorrect; remember that 饷 specifically relates to military pay.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 饷

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 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

Etymology of 饷

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

Phonosemantic compound. 饣 represents the meaning and 向 represents the sound. Simplified form of 餉.

Memory Hint

food

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 饷?

Decomposition of 饷

IDS Structure⿰饣向
Full Character
=
shi2
left
Xiang4
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 饷?

Write 饷

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 饷

饷 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). It carries 2 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 1

Complete the Sentence

有些人讽刺地说战地的薪____很不错,人们可借这次战争赚到很多钱.

Some say sardonically that combat pay is good and that one can do quite well out of this war.

Example Sentences for 饷 (1)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
有些人讽刺地说战地的薪饷很不错,人们可借这次战争赚到很多钱.

yǒu xiē rén fěng cì dì shuō zhàn dì de xīn xiǎng hěn bù cuò, , rén mén kě jiè zhè cì zhàn zhēng zhuàn dào hěn duō.

Some say sardonically that combat pay is good and that one can do quite well out of this war.

Cultural Notes for 饷

🏮Cultural insight

In ancient China, the provision of 饷 was crucial for maintaining troop morale and effectiveness, reflecting the importance of logistics in military history. This concept is still relevant in modern discussions about military funding.

Word Family of 饷

Words Containing This Character4
军饷(soldier's) pay軍餉
xiǎngsoldier's pay
粮饷army provisions糧餉
兵饷pay and provisions for soldiers兵餉
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 军饷 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 饷

工资 (gōngzī) refers to salary or wages for regular civilian jobs, while 饷 specifically pertains to military pay and rations.