糕
Lesson note · gāo
The Character 糕: Cakes, Pastries & Rice Cakes
The character that pairs with 蛋 to form 蛋糕 (dàngāo)—cake
糕gāocakepastryrice cake蛋糕年糕雪糕米羔foodHSK 2HSK 3
Common HSK Vocabulary & Usage
糕 refers broadly to cakes, pastries, or steamed rice cakes. It pairs naturally with 蛋 (dàn) to make 蛋糕 (dàngāo—cake).
| HSK level | Chinese | Pinyin | English meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSK 2 | 蛋糕 | dàngāo | Cake—literally “egg + cake” |
| HSK 3 | 年糕 | niángāo | New Year rice cake / glutinous rice cake |
| HSK 3 | 雪糕 | xuěgāo | Ice cream / popsicle—literally “snow cake” |
Character Structure & Radical Details
- Pinyin
- gāo
- Radical
- 米米部 (mǐ bù)—Rice Radical, 6 strokes
- Structure
- Left–right左右结构 (zuǒyòu jiégòu)
Meaning + sound components
- Semantic part: 米 (mǐ—rice / grain) on the left provides the meaning.
- Phonetic part: 羔 (gāo—lamb / young sheep) on the right provides the exact sound.