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涮 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
涮shuànto rinseHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #13485, Very Hard
涮shuànto trickHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #13485, Very Hard
涮shuànto fool sbHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #13485, Very Hard
涮shuànto cook by dipping finely sliced ingredients briefly in boiling water or soup (generally done at the dining table)HSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #13485, Very Hard
涮shuànto rinse; to boil or cook in juiceHSK 7, v, 11 strokes, radical 氵, rank #13485, Very Hard
shuàn(shuan4)shuan T4
  1. 1to rinse
  2. 2to trick
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March 24, 2026

涮shuàn(shuan4)

The character 涮 (shuàn) primarily means to quickly dip or rinse food, especially thinly sliced ingredients, in boiling water or soup, a common practice in hot pot dining. Additionally, it can mean to trick or fool someone, often used in informal contexts. The culinary usage emphasizes a social and interactive aspect of dining in Chinese culture.

Strokes11Radical氵Frequency#13485DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

Hot pot, where 涮 is often employed, is a beloved dining experience in China, representing communal eating and sharing food. It’s a common way for families and friends to bond over a meal, emphasizing togetherness and interaction.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'shallow' soup (sounds like 'shuàn') where you 'rinse' vegetables and meat quickly. The character 涮 combines the water radical 氵, suggesting the action of dipping in liquid, with the phonetic component 'shuan', linking the sound to the action.

Meanings of 涮

shuàn(shuan4)
1to rinse
2to trick
Exercise 1 of 2

By ear

Play it, then pick what 涮 means.

About 涮

涮Simplified
11Strokes
氵Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#13485Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

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Podcast: 涮

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AI Study Notes for 涮

Quick Contrast

涮 (shuàn) vs 烫 (tàng): Use 涮 when referring to quickly dipping food in boiling liquid, while 烫 indicates a more general action of scalding or heating something with hot water.

Usage Notes

When using 涮 in a culinary context, it is typically associated with hot pot meals, so remember to use it in informal settings. A common mistake is to confuse it with 煮 (zhǔ), which means to boil for a longer time. Ensure you use the correct tone to avoid misunderstanding: 涮 (shuàn) is the fourth tone.

HSK Study Tips

Although 涮 is not part of the official HSK levels, it connects well with food-related vocabulary commonly found in HSK materials. Focus on learning related cooking terms and phrases that might come up in dining scenarios, as this will enhance your conversational skills.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 涮 in contexts implying prolonged cooking, such as saying 'I 涮 the chicken for an hour.' Instead, it should be 'I 涮 the chicken briefly in the hot pot.'

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 涮

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Etymology of 涮

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 氵 represents the meaning and 刷 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

water

Semantic (meaning)氵
+
Phonetic (sound)刷
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Origin

涮 = 氵 + 刷. What kind of character does that make it?

Decomposition of 涮

IDS Structure⿰氵刷
涮Full Character
=
氵shui3
left
刷shua1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Parts

Which of these is part of 涮?

How to say to rinse in Chinese

“to rinse” in Chinese is涮shuàn

The character 涮 (shuàn) primarily means to quickly dip or rinse food, especially thinly sliced ingredients, in boiling water or soup, a common practice in hot pot dining. Additionally, it can mean to trick or fool someone, often used in informal contexts. The culinary usage emphasizes a social and interactive aspect of dining in Chinese culture.

When to use 涮

When using 涮 in a culinary context, it is typically associated with hot pot meals, so remember to use it in informal settings. A common mistake is to confuse it with 煮 (zhǔ), which means to boil for a longer time. Ensure you use the correct tone to avoid misunderstanding: 涮 (shuàn) is the fourth tone.

涮 or something close to it

涮 (shuàn) vs 烫 (tàng): Use 涮 when referring to quickly dipping food in boiling liquid, while 烫 indicates a more general action of scalding or heating something with hot water.

What learners get wrong

Learners often mistakenly use 涮 in contexts implying prolonged cooking, such as saying 'I 涮 the chicken for an hour.' Instead, it should be 'I 涮 the chicken briefly in the hot pot.'

Write 涮

涮

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

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Grammar Patterns of 涮

涮 functions as a verb — the action or state of the sentence. The Chinese order is Subject + Verb + Object (我吃饭). Negate it with 不 (habitual / future) or 没(有) (completed action). Add aspect markers like 了, 过, 着 directly after the verb. It carries 5 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 2

Fill the gap

Type the missing word. Pinyin works; then pick the character.

倒掉沉渣,把壶____干净.

Pour the dregs away and rinse the pot.

Example Sentences for 涮 (1)

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1
倒掉沉渣,把壶涮干净.

dǎo diào chén zhā, , bǎ hú shuàn gān.

Pour the dregs away and rinse the pot.

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Word Family of 涮

Words Containing This Character4
涮shuànto rinse
涮羊肉Mongolian hot pot
开涮to play tricks on開涮
涮锅子hot pot涮鍋子
Exercise 1 of 3

Words with 涮

What does 涮羊肉 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 涮

涮 (shuàn) refers to quickly dipping food in boiling liquid, while 煮 (zhǔ) means to boil food for a longer time.

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