馒 mán steamed buns
How to remember 馒: 饣 food + 曼 graceful = steamed buns. At the food stall, the old baker lifts the bamboo lid with one graceful move and reveals a tray of soft steamed buns.
Component breakdown
馒 = 饣 food + 曼 graceful
- 饣 food
- 曼 graceful
At the food stall, the old baker lifts the bamboo lid with one graceful move and reveals a tray of soft steamed buns.
How it is used
- Occurs only in 馒头 (mántou) - plain steamed bun (no filling), a staple food especially in northern China.
- Distinguish 馒头 (no filling) from 包子 (bāozi, filled steamed bun) and 花卷 (huājuǎn, twisted roll).
- 馒 never stands alone; note the neutral tone: 馒头 mán·tou.