年糕
niángāo
The Chinese word for rice cake is 年糕 (niángāo).
年糕 refers to a specific type of sticky food item made from rice flour. While 年糕 is the standard term for this sticky rice cake, the character 糕 (gāo) serves as a general term for any kind of cake or pastry.
Meaning: sticky food item made from rice flour (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 年 (nián), meaning 'year' and 糕 (gāo), meaning 'cake'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some northern regions, the rice cake may be referred to as 糯米团.
How do you pronounce it?
niángāo
When do people say it?
The name 'year cake' reflects its traditional importance as a food eaten during the Lunar New Year.
Did you know?
- The word 年糕 is a homophone for a phrase meaning 'year higher'. Eating it symbolizes that a person or their business will reach a higher level of success in the coming year.
- The character 糕 originally referred to a type of steamed food, which explains why Chinese 'cakes' are often chewy or steamed rather than baked with flour and butter.
- Because 年糕 is so sticky, it is often used as a metaphor in Chinese for someone who is stubborn or persists in their ways.
Examples in context
- 我不喜欢吃年糕。Wǒ bù xǐhuān chī niángāo.I don't like eating rice cakes.
- 这种年糕非常甜。Zhè zhǒng niángāo fēicháng tián.This kind of rice cake is very sweet.
- 你会做年糕吗？Nǐ huì zuò niángāo ma?Do you know how to make rice cakes?
Example conversation
At a snack stall during a festival.
- 梓涵 Zihan伟，你想试试这个年糕吗？Wěi, nǐ xiǎng shìshì zhège niángāo ma?Wei, do you want to try this rice cake?
- 伟 Wei好啊，看起来很好吃。Hǎo a, kàn qǐlái hěn hǎochī.Sure, it looks delicious.
- 梓涵 Zihan它是手工做的。Tā shì shǒugōng zuò de.It is handmade.
- 伟 Wei难怪味道这么好。Nánguài wèidào zhème hǎo.No wonder it tastes so good.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “rice cake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
