粢 (zī) - Millet — refers to glutinous millet or glutinous & sacrificial grain used in ancient rituals

粢Tone 1

zī ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

志

粢 · zī

Millet — refers to glutinous millet or glutinous rice;

sacrificial grain used in ancient rituals;

also refers to cakes made from glutinous rice.

Millet — refers to glutinous millet or glutinoussacrificial grain used in ancient ritualsalso refers to cakes made from glutinous rice.

Usage highlights

Sacrificial milletGlutinous rice cakeMillet offeringsRice cakesCoarse grainMillet and rice

Synonyms

  • 黍— millet (another type of grain)
  • 稷— millet (often used interchangeably in ancient texts)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Sacrificial offerings of millet (粢盛) were important in ancient rituals.
  • Glutinous rice cakes (粢饭) are a traditional breakfast food in Shanghai.
  • Ancient texts mention millet as a staple grain (粢糈).
  • The character appears in classical descriptions of food (粢饵).

Collocations

  • Sacrificial millet(粢盛)
  • Glutinous rice cake(粢饭)
  • Millet offerings(粢糈)
  • Rice cakes(粢饵)
  • Coarse grain(粢粝)
  • Millet and rice(粢稻)

Idioms

  • Coarse food and simple living(粝粢之食)
  • Eating coarse grains and drinking plain water(啜粝食粢)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 粢 was an important sacrificial grain in ancient Chinese rituals, representing agricultural abundance.
  • In ancient texts, 粢 often referred to the highest quality millet used in royal sacrifices.
  • The character appears in classical texts like the Book of Rites describing ceremonial foods.

FAQ