Meaning and Usage
饲料 (sìliào) specifically refers to the food or feed given to animals, especially in farming or animal husbandry contexts. It is a noun commonly used when discussing livestock care, agricultural production, and animal nutrition.
Common Collocations
- 饲料价格 (feed price): refers to the cost of animal feed, often discussed in economic or farming contexts.
- 饲料成分 (feed ingredients): the nutritional components contained in the feed.
- 饲料供应 (feed supply): availability and provision of feed.
Usage Notes
饲料 is always about animal feed, not human food. It often appears in discussions about farming costs, animal health, and agricultural production. When talking about feeding pets or wild animals, 饲料 is still appropriate, but in casual conversation, phrases like 喂食 (to feed) might be more common.
Common Confusions
饲料 should not be confused with 食料 (shíliào), which means food or provisions for humans. 饲料 is strictly for animals. Also, 饲养 (sìyǎng) means to raise or breed animals, which is related but focuses on the act of caring rather than the feed itself.