饅 (mán) - Steamed bread & bun

饅Tone 2

mán ｜ 19 strokes ｜ radical:

伦妙

饅 · mán

Steamed bread;

bun;

specifically refers to Chinese steamed buns (mantou).

Steamed breadbunspecifically refers to Chinese steamed buns (mantou).

Usage highlights

Steamed bunSteam bunsMake bunsStuffed bunWheat flour bunManju

Synonyms

  • 包子— Baozi (typically filled bun)
  • 麵頭— Dough head (regional term)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I ate a steamed bun for breakfast (吃了一个饅頭).
  • This shop sells delicious stuffed buns (包子) and plain steamed buns (饅頭).
  • Steamed buns are a staple food in northern China (北方主食).
  • We need to steam the buns for fifteen minutes (蒸饅頭).

Collocations

  • Steamed bun(饅頭)
  • Steam buns(蒸饅頭)
  • Make buns(做饅頭)
  • Stuffed bun(包子, though technically different)
  • Wheat flour bun(白麵饅頭)
  • Manju(饅頭 - Japanese reading for filled bun)

Idioms

  • No specific common idioms feature this character prominently

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Mantou (饅頭) originated in China and has been a staple food since ancient times.
  • In some regions, mantou refers specifically to plain steamed buns without fillings.
  • The character appears in Japanese as 饅頭 (manjū) referring to filled confections.

FAQ