糧 (liáng) - Grain, food provisions, rations — refers to cereal

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Grain, food provisions, rations — refers to cereal grains and food supplies, especially staple foods.

Grain, food provisions, rations — refers to cereal

Usage highlights

Grain and foodArmy provisionsFood rationGrain depotFood crisisGrain price

Synonyms

  • 食— food, eat
  • 谷— grain, cereal
  • 米— rice

Antonyms

  • 饥— famine, hunger
  • 荒— shortage, scarcity

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The government stored grain reserves (粮食储备).
  • We need to buy provisions for the journey (旅途粮食).
  • Rice is the main grain in southern China (主要粮食).
  • The army's food supplies were running low (军粮不足).

Collocations

  • Grain and food(粮食)
  • Army provisions(军粮)
  • Food ration(口粮)
  • Grain depot(粮仓)
  • Food crisis(粮荒)
  • Grain price(粮价)

Idioms

  • To burn the bridges and sink the cooking pots(破釜沉舟)
  • Soldiers and horses未动, provisions and fodder先行(兵马未动，粮草先行)
  • To have ample food and clothing(丰衣足食)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically crucial for survival and state stability; grain storage was a key government function.
  • Grain taxes (粮税) were fundamental to imperial Chinese economy and administration.
  • Control of grain supplies often determined military success or failure in ancient warfare.

FAQ