飴 (yí) - Maltose & malt sugar

飴Tone 2

yí ｜ 13 strokes ｜ radical:

一懿

飴 · yí

Maltose;

malt sugar;

candy;

sweets;

to feed (archaic meaning).

Maltosemalt sugarcandy

Usage highlights

Malt sugarMaltoseCandy/sweetsSweet syrupTo feed the peopleSweet flavor

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 苦— bitter
  • 药— medicine (often bitter)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The candy is sweet (飴糖).
  • He gave the child some sweets (给小孩吃飴).
  • Maltose is used in cooking (麦芽飴).
  • Ancient texts mention feeding the people (飴民, archaic).

Collocations

  • Malt sugar(飴糖)
  • Maltose(麦芽飴)
  • Candy/sweets(甘飴)
  • Sweet syrup(飴浆)
  • To feed the people(飴民, archaic)
  • Sweet flavor(飴味)

Idioms

  • Sweet as malt sugar(甘之如飴)
  • To hold candy to entice someone(含飴弄孙)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Historically, 飴 referred to maltose, one of the earliest sweeteners in China, made from grains.
  • In ancient times, it symbolized sweetness, comfort, and nurturing (as in feeding).
  • The character appears in classical texts and idioms conveying pleasantness or enduring hardship willingly.

FAQ