Chinese word

主食

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhǔ shí

Meaning

  • nounstaple food

Example

我每天的主食是米饭和面条。wǒ měi tiān de zhǔ shí shì mǐ fàn hé miàn tiáo

My staple foods every day are rice and noodles.

Illustration for 主食 (staple food)

More examples

在一些地区，人们以玉米为主食。zài yì xiē dì qū rén men yǐ yù mǐ wéi zhǔ shí

In some regions, people have corn as a staple food.

Core concept

The substantial base of a meal, with accompanying dishes served around it.

Common phrases

  • 以米饭作为主食yǐ mǐ fàn zuò wéi zhǔ shí

    have rice as a staple food

  • 以玉米为主食yǐ yù mǐ wéi zhǔ shí

    have corn as a staple food

  • 以面食作为主食yǐ miàn shí zuò wéi zhǔ shí

    have wheat-based foods as staple food

Similar words

主粮zhǔ liáng: Grains and grain products that provide the main food in daily meals.
粮食liáng shí: Edible crops such as grains and beans, including their harvested produce.
米饭mǐ fàn: Cooked rice eaten as a dish.
面食miàn shí: Foods made from wheat or other flour, such as bread, noodles, and steamed buns.

Definition in Chinese

指与菜肴搭配食用、在餐中担当主要份量的食品，如米饭、面条、馒头等。zhǐ yǔ cài yáo dā pèi shí yòng zài cān zhōng dān dāng zhǔ yào fèn liàng de shí pǐn rú mǐ fàn miàn tiáo mán tou děng

Word origin

主 (zhǔ, "main") + 食 (shí, "food") forms 主食 (zhǔshí, "staple food"), naming the food that takes the leading role in a meal.

Usage tips

  • The category is not tied to rice: local eating habits can make noodles, bread, or other filling foods the main food of a meal.

Opposites

Related words

  • 主食类zhǔ shí lèistaple food categorynoun
  • 主食文化zhǔ shí wén huàstaple food culturenoun

Word lists with this word