Chinese word

饼

Pronunciation

Pinyinbǐng

Meaning

  • nounpancake

Example

今天早上我吃了一个饼。jīn tiān zǎo shàng wǒ chī le yí gè bǐng

I ate a pancake this morning.

Illustration for 饼 (pancake)

More examples

中秋节我们常常送月饼给亲友。zhōng qiū jié wǒ men cháng cháng sòng yuè bǐng gěi qīn yǒu

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, we often give mooncakes to relatives and friends.

Core concept

A shaped, flat portion of cooked flour or grain that works as either a snack or a simple meal.

Common phrases

  • 月饼yuè bǐng

    mooncake

  • 饼干bǐng gān

    cookie

  • 煎饼jiān bǐng

    Chinese-style crepe

Similar words

面包miàn bāo: Baked bread made from fermented wheat-flour dough, often sliced and eaten at breakfast.
蛋糕dàn gāo: A sweet baked dessert made with flour, eggs, and sugar, often served at celebrations.
包子bāo zi: A round bun made from wheat-flour dough, filled and cooked by steaming.
馒头mán tou: A round bun made from fermented wheat-flour dough, steamed without a filling.

Definition in Chinese

泛指用面粉等制成的扁平烤或煎制食品，可以作为点心或主食。fàn zhǐ yòng miàn fěn děng zhì chéng de biǎn píng kǎo huò jiān zhì shí pǐn ké yǐ zuò wéi diǎn xīn huò zhǔ shí

Word origin

饼 (bǐng, "pancake") combines 饣 (shí, "food") with 并 (bìng, "combine"), whose role is mainly to suggest the pronunciation rather than the recipe.

Usage tips

  • English food names often point to one familiar recipe, but this noun stays broad, so menus and conversations commonly add the filling, flavor, or type.

Other meanings

  • wafernoun
  • pastrynoun

Related words

Word lists with this word