How to Write 饧 (táng) — Meaning “maltose; syrup; (of dough) to become soft”

Imagine a bowl of 饧糖 (maltose candy) with a sun above it: the left part looks like a food package, and the right part 昜 contains 日 (sun), reminding you that heat is used to soften syrup into candy. This helps you recall both the meaning and the shape.

Make sure the radical 饣 is written with the first stroke as a short left-falling stroke (撇), then a horizontal hook, and the last stroke is a vertical 丨 inside. The right side 昜 has a horizontal line at the top, followed by 曰 (a rectangle) and 勿, with a total of 9 strokes just for the right side.

饧 (táng) specifically means maltose syrup or the process of dough softening, while 饥 (jī) means hunger or famine, and 饨 (tún) appears in 馄饨 (húntun, wonton). Visually, 饧 has the right side 昜, 饥 has 几, and 饨 has 屯, so the right parts are completely different.

饧 appears in words like 饧糖 (maltose candy) and 饧面 (to let dough rest), the latter a common step in making noodles or dumplings. It is rarely used alone and is considered a specialized term, often found in cooking or traditional confectionery contexts.

Common words containing 饧 include: 饧糖 (táng táng) — maltose candy; 饧面 (táng miàn) — to let dough rest and soften; 发饧 (fā táng) — to become soft (of candy); to feel drowsy.