粥 (zhōu) - porridge & congee

粥Tone 1

zhōu ｜ 12 strokes ｜ radical:

志

粥 · zhōu

porridge;

congee;

a food made by boiling rice, grains, or legumes in water or milk until soft and thick.

porridgecongeea food made by boiling rice, grains, or

Usage highlights

rice porridgemillet porridgeeightpreserved egg and pork congeecook porridgethin porridge

Synonyms

  • 糜— porridge, congee
  • 稀饭— rice porridge (more common in southern China)

Antonyms

  • 饭— cooked rice (solid vs liquid)
  • 干粮— dry provisions (dry vs wet)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I eat rice porridge for breakfast (吃粥).
  • This congee is very delicious (这粥很好喝).
  • She cooked millet porridge (小米粥).
  • We have congee with preserved egg (皮蛋瘦肉粥).

Collocations

  • rice porridge(米粥)
  • millet porridge(小米粥)
  • eight-treasure porridge(八宝粥)
  • preserved egg and pork congee(皮蛋瘦肉粥)
  • cook porridge(煮粥)
  • thin porridge(稀粥)

Idioms

  • Brewing a pot of porridge (一锅粥) — a complete mess, chaos
  • Gruel for the monks (僧多粥少) — not enough to go around
  • Draw rice to make congee (划粥断齑) — live in extreme poverty and study hard

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Porridge has been a staple food in China for thousands of years, especially among common people.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, congee is considered easily digestible and nourishing for weak or ill people.
  • The idiom '僧多粥少' reflects the historical practice of monasteries distributing food to monks.

FAQ