zik1稷
Jyutpingzik1
Yalejīk
Definition
Panicled millet, or historically, the minister of agriculture.
- literarypanicled millet (Panicum miliaceum)
- archaicthe minister of agriculture in ancient China
writtenfoodother
How it's used
Refers almost exclusively to a historical grain crop or the mythological deity of agriculture in ancient Chinese texts. It is rarely used in modern spoken Cantonese outside of historical discussions or formal literary contexts. Most speakers would simply use 小米 to refer to millet in a culinary or everyday setting.
Examples
People in ancient times really liked eating panicled millet.
Is panicled millet the same thing as millet?
Related words
Common phrases
the state or the nation
Common mistake
Do not use this word in daily conversation to refer to modern food, as it sounds archaic and confusing to native speakers. Use 小米 instead for clarity.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
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Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
