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卤 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
saltn, 7 strokes, radical 卤, rank #31188, Very Hard
to stew in soy sauce and spicesunknown, 7 strokes, radical 卤, rank #31188, Very Hard
brineunknown, 7 strokes, radical 卤, rank #31188, Very Hard
halogen (chemistry)unknown, 7 strokes, radical 卤, rank #31188, Very Hard
crassunknown, 7 strokes, radical 卤, rank #31188, Very Hard
stupidunknown, 7 strokes, radical 卤, rank #31188, Very Hard
(lu3) T3
  1. 1salt
  2. 2to stew in soy sauce and spices
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
(滷)(lu3)

The character 卤 (lǔ) primarily refers to a brine used in cooking, especially for stewing meats with soy sauce and spices. This character can also denote halogens in a chemistry context, but it is most commonly associated with food preparation and flavoring techniques in Chinese cuisine.

Strokes7RadicalFrequency#31188DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, dishes prepared with 卤 are very popular, especially in street food culture, where various meats are often braised in a mix of soy sauce, spices, and aromatics, showcasing the importance of flavor in Chinese cooking.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pot of meat simmering in a flavorful brine, with the steam rising to form the character 卤. The left part resembles a 'cooking pot', indicating its culinary use, while the right part can remind you of 'different spices' needed for the brine.

Meanings of 卤

(lu3)
1salt
2to stew in soy sauce and spices
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 卤

Simplified
Traditional
7Strokes
Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 卤

JasonAmy

Podcast:

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 卤

Quick Contrast

腌 (yān) - use 卤 when referring specifically to the brine used in cooking, while 腌 is more general for marinating food.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a pot of meat simmering in a flavorful brine, with the steam rising to form the character 卤. The left part resembles a 'cooking pot', indicating its culinary use, while the right part can remind you of 'different spices' needed for the brine.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 卤 with similar-sounding characters like 鹿 (lù, deer) due to tonal mistakes. It is typically used in informal contexts related to food, but can also appear in more technical discussions in chemistry. Common collocations include 卤味 (lǔwèi, braised flavor) and 卤菜 (lǔcài, braised dishes).

HSK Study Tips

While 卤 is not in the official HSK vocabulary lists, it can be beneficial for learners at HSK 3 and above who are interested in cooking or food vocabulary. Students should focus on its culinary applications and practice related phrases.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, dishes prepared with 卤 are very popular, especially in street food culture, where various meats are often braised in a mix of soy sauce, spices, and aromatics, showcasing the importance of flavor in Chinese cooking.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly write 卤 as 鹿 (lù), confusing the tones and meanings. Remember, 卤 relates to brine and cooking, while 鹿 means deer. Double-check your pronunciation to avoid this mix-up.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 卤

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Etymology of 卤

Formation TypePictographic 象形
六书 ClassificationPictograph (象形字)~4% of characters
Explanation

Simplified form of 鹵. Pictograph of a bag of salt.

Memory Hint

A container used to brine pickles

Learn more about Pictograph (象形字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 卤?

Decomposition of 卤

IDS Structure⿱⺊⿴囗乂
Full Character
=
top
wei2
enclosing
yi4
inner
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 卤?

Write 卤

Practice writing stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 卤

卤 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The example sentences below show it in action, with practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) on every line.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

照像材料含有亲水胶体的感蓝____化银卤剂层.

The photographic elements contain a blue - sensitive hydrophilic colloid silver halide emulsion layer.

Example Sentences for 卤 (4)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
照像材料含有亲水胶体的感蓝卤化银卤剂层.

zhào xiàng cái liào hán yǒu qīn shuǐ jiāo tǐ de gǎn lán lǔ huà yín lǔ jì céng.

The photographic elements contain a blue - sensitive hydrophilic colloid silver halide emulsion layer.
2
成菜面条细薄, 卤汁酥香,咸鲜微辣, 香气扑鼻, 十分入味.

chéng cài miàn tiáo xì báo, , lǔ zhī sū, xiāng , xián xiān, wēi là , xiāng, qì pū bí ,.

Noodle dishes into thinness, Marinates Instant , tomato sauce, aroma spell, then great.
3
先滗出多余的卤汁,把它当作浇汁的主料。

xiān bì chū duō yú de lǔ zhī, , bǎ tā dāng zuò jiāo zhī de zhǔ。

Drain off any excess marinade and use it as a base for a pouring sauce.
4
R ” 是取化基,如乙氧基 、 甲氧基及它们的环氧和烷氧同系物或卤基.

R” R ” shì qǔ huà, jī , rú yǐ、 yǎng jī 、 jiǎ yǎng jī jí tā mén de huán yǎng hé wán yǎng tóng xì wù.

R " is a replaceable function , e . g . acetoxy, methoxy, their acyloxy and alkoxy homologs or halo.

Cultural Notes for 卤

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, dishes prepared with 卤 are very popular, especially in street food culture, where various meats are often braised in a mix of soy sauce, spices, and aromatics, showcasing the importance of flavor in Chinese cooking.

Word Family of 卤

Words Containing This Character13
salt
卤莽hot-headed鹵莽
卤水brine鹵水
卤素halogen (chemistry)鹵素
卤肉stewed meat滷肉
卤味lǔwèifood prepared by stewing in soy sauce and spices滷味
卤菜pot-stewed dish滷菜
卤化物halide (i.e. fluoride, chloride, bromide etc)鹵化物
盐卤brine鹽鹵
卤化to halogenate鹵化
光卤石carnallite (hydrated potassium magnesium chloride mineral)光鹵石
卤代烃haloalkane (obtained from hydrocarbon by substituting halogen for hydrogen, e.g. chlorobenzene or the CFCs)鹵代烴
卤族halogen (chemistry)鹵族
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 卤 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 卤

Popular dishes include 卤味 (lǔwèi) which refers to various meats braised in a savory sauce, often served in markets.