About
The character 粟 is an ideogrammatic compound whose parts combine to convey an agricultural meaning. The upper component, now resembling 覀, originated as a depiction of mature grain heads drooping from their stalk. The lower component is 米, meaning "seed" or "rice", which anchors the character's association with cereal crops. Historically, 粟 specifically referred to foxtail millet, a foundational crop in early East Asian agriculture. Over time, its meaning expanded to serve as a general term for unhulled grain or seeds. Metaphorically, it also describes things that are extremely small or granular.
Etymology Hide
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢吃粟米。
粟米粥很有营养。
农民在田里种粟。
粟的颗粒很小。
这种粟米来自北方。
粟类作物耐旱性强。
古代中国以粟为主食。
粟粒大小的珍珠很珍贵。