How to Write 粢 (zī) — Meaning “common millet; grain”

Picture 次 as "second" and 米 as "rice" — imagine "second-rate rice" as millet, which is a coarser grain than white rice. Another way: picture a sticky rice roll (粢饭) with the character stamped on its wrapper.

The top part 次 has 6 strokes and should be written slightly narrower than the bottom 米, which has 6 strokes as well. A common mistake is making the 次 part too wide or misplacing the horizontal stroke in 次 — keep it balanced so the character looks square.

All three include the 米 radical, but they differ in the phonetic part and meaning. 粉 uses 分 and means "powder" or "flour", 粑 uses 巴 and means "rice cake", while 粢 uses 次 and refers specifically to millet or a type of glutinous rice used in foods like 粢饭.

粢 is uncommon in daily speech but appears in regional cuisine names, especially in eastern China (Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang). For example, 粢饭 is a popular breakfast item — a steamed sticky rice roll wrapped around fillings. It also appears in classical texts as 粢盛, meaning grain used in sacrifices.

Common words containing 粢 include: 粢饭 (zī fàn) — steamed glutinous rice; sticky rice roll; 粢粑 (zī bā) — sticky rice cake; ciba; 粢盛 (zī shèng) — sacrificial grain.