yè

馌

Character · Verb · NounTraditional饁

bring food to fields; field provisions

Tone colorsmāmámǎmàma

Meanings

2 senses · 3 examples
1.

verb

to take food to someone working in the fields

archaic

Literary/archaic usage from classical Chinese. Describes the traditional practice of bringing lunch to family members working in distant fields.

Qī妻
zǐ子
yè馌
shí食
yú于
nán南
mǔ亩
 。

The wife brought food to the southern fields.

Gǔ古
shī诗
zhōng中
cháng常
yǒu有
fù妇
rén人
yè馁
tián田
de的
chǎng场
jǐng景
 。

Ancient poems often depict scenes of women bringing lunch to the fields.

2.

noun

food brought to the fields; field provisions

archaic

Refers to the meal itself rather than the action of bringing it. Rare in modern usage.

Yī一
dān箪
shí食
 ，
yī一
piáo瓢
yǐn饮
 ，
zài在
lòu陋
xiàng巷
 ，
rén人
bù不
kān堪
qí其
yōu忧
 ，
huí回
yě也
bù不
gǎi改
qí其
lè乐
 。
Xián贤
zāi哉
 ，
huí回
yě也
 ！
 （
 此
 处
 虽
 非
 直
 接
 指
 饁
 ，
 但
 箪
 食
 可
 指
 野
 馔
 ）

A simple basket of food and a gourd of drink, living in a humble lane—others could not endure such distress, yet Hui never lost his joy. Virtuous indeed was Hui!