Meaning
饭 is one of the most fundamental words in Chinese, referring primarily to cooked rice, which is the staple food in Chinese culture. By extension, it also means 'meal' in general. When Chinese people ask 'have you eaten rice?' (吃饭了吗？), they're really asking 'have you eaten?' as a greeting.
Usage
饭 is used in everyday conversation constantly. It appears in phrases about eating meals (吃饭), cooking rice (做饭), and different meal times. Native speakers use 饭 to refer to any meal, not just rice specifically. It's neutral register and appropriate in all contexts.
Examples
- 01你吃饭了吗？?Have you eaten yet?
- 02我妈妈每天都做饭。.My mom cooks every day.
Measure words
- 碗一碗饭
- 顿一顿饭
Common collocations
- 吃饭to eat a meal
- 做饭to cook
- 米饭cooked white rice
- 饭馆restaurant
Origin
The traditional character 飯 contains the food radical 食 on the left and 反 on the right (which provides the pronunciation). The character specifically denotes prepared/cooked grain as opposed to raw grain.