白米
báimǐ
The English phrase "white rice" is 白米 (báimǐ) in Chinese. Wiktionary also lists 精白米 (jīngbáimǐ).
Meaning: rice with the hull polished off (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 白米 | báimǐ |
| 精白米 | jīngbáimǐ |
白米 refers to rice that has had the hull polished off. While 白米 refers to the raw grain, you may also encounter 白饭, which is used more generally to mean "cooked rice".
What does it mean word for word?
The word 白米 is composed of 白 (white) and 米 (rice).
Which one should you use?
白米 is the general term for white rice. If you want to refer specifically to highly polished white rice, you should use 精白米. To contrast white rice with its unpolished version, use the term 糙米 (brown rice).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hokkien, 白飯 is used to refer to "white rice".
How do you pronounce it?
báimǐ
Did you know?
- While 白米 refers to the grain, the phrase 白饭 is so central to the culture that in some dialects it is used as a synonym for 'sustenance' or 'livelihood'.
- The character 米 (rice) is actually a pictograph that resembles the shape of individual grains of rice scattered on a surface.
- While 白米 describes the color, the word 白 can also imply something 'plain' or 'unadorned', reflecting the simplicity of the grain in a diet.
Examples in context
- 你更喜歡白米還是糙米呢？Do you prefer white rice or brown rice?This sentence is useful for expressing a preference between 白米 and 糙米.Tatoeba #10759819 by DaoSeng, translation #681943 by Source_VOA
- 来一份饭Bring me a plate of rice
- 请给我一碗白饭。Please give me a bowl of white rice.
- 我只想吃白米饭。Wǒ zhǐ xiǎng chī bái mǐ fàn.I only want to eat white rice.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Zihan are grocery shopping together.
- 伟 Wei梓涵，我們需要買白米嗎？Zǐhán, wǒmen xūyào mǎi bái mǐ ma?Zihan, do we need to buy white rice?
- 梓涵 Zihan是的，家裡已經沒了。Shì de, jiālǐ yǐjīng méi le.Yes, we have run out at home.
- 伟 Wei那我拿這一包白米。Nà wǒ ná zhè yī bāo bái mǐ.Then I will take this bag of white rice.
- 梓涵 Zihan好，謝謝你，伟。Hǎo, xièxiè nǐ, Wěi.Okay, thank you, Wei.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “white rice” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
