稻 (dào) - Rice plant & paddy

稻Tone 4

dào ｜ 15 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

稻 · dào

Rice plant;

paddy;

Oryza sativa, the staple grain crop in many Asian countries.

Rice plantpaddyOryza sativa, the staple grain crop in many

Usage highlights

Rice plantPaddy fieldRice seedlingRice grainRice strawRice harvest

Synonyms

  • 谷— grain, cereal (broader term)
  • 米— rice (husked, cooked)

Antonyms

  • 麦— wheat (northern staple grain)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Farmers plant rice seedlings in the paddy field (稻田).
  • Rice is the main food crop in southern China (水稻).
  • The rice plants are turning golden yellow (稻穗).
  • We need to harvest the rice before the rainy season (收割稻子).

Collocations

  • Rice plant(稻子)
  • Paddy field(稻田)
  • Rice seedling(稻秧)
  • Rice grain(稻谷)
  • Rice straw(稻草)
  • Rice harvest(稻收)

Idioms

  • Rice flowers fragrance, talking about harvest(稻花香里说丰年)
  • Rice and millet divided, clear distinction(稻粱分)
  • Cast pearls before swine(明珠暗投, originally 对牛弹琴)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Rice cultivation dates back over 7,000 years in China, with evidence from Hemudu culture.
  • Rice is one of the 'Five Grains' (五谷) in Chinese agricultural tradition.
  • The character 稻 appears in ancient texts like the Book of Songs (诗经).

FAQ