Mandarin TempleMandarin Temple Beta Come for Knowledge. Stay for Wisdom.
Start your Chinese Learning JourneyStart Now
烀 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
烀hūto simmer, to cook over a slow firev, 9 strokes, radical 火
烀hūto cook in a small quantity of waterunknown, 9 strokes, radical 火
hū(hu1) T1
  1. 1to simmer, to cook over a slow fire
  2. 2to cook in a small quantity of water
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

烀hū(hu1)

The character 烀 (hū) refers to the method of cooking food slowly over a low flame or simmering it in a small amount of water. This technique helps to enhance the flavor of the ingredients while ensuring they are cooked thoroughly without burning. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese cooking for soups and stews.

Strokes9Radical火
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, the method of slow cooking or simmering is essential for dishes like traditional herbal soups, where the flavors need time to develop. This practice reflects the cultural emphasis on patience and the art of cooking.

Memory Tip

Imagine a pot simmering gently on a stove, the steam rising like a soft cloud. The character 烀 resembles a pot (the bottom part) with steam coming out (the top part), reminding you of the slow cooking process that creates flavorful dishes. The 'hū' sound can be associated with the gentle 'hush' of simmering water.

Meanings of 烀

hū(hu1)
1to simmer, to cook over a slow fire
2to cook in a small quantity of water
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 烀

烀Simplified
9Strokes
火Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 烀

JasonAmy

Podcast: 烀

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 烀

Usage Notes

Be cautious not to confuse 烀 with similar cooking terms like 煮 (zhǔ), which means to boil. 烀 is used specifically for slow cooking or simmering. It is more common in informal contexts among home cooks rather than in formal culinary literature.

HSK Study Tips

While 烀 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, it can be linked to HSK 2 cooking terms like 煮 (zhǔ) and 炒 (chǎo). Students should focus on understanding the different methods of cooking in Mandarin and practice using them in sentences.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 烀 with 煮 and use them interchangeably, saying '我想烀水' (I want to simmer water) when they should say '我想煮水' (I want to boil water). Remember, 烀 is for simmering, not boiling.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 烀

Premium — Locked

AI tone practice

Pro

Drill the tone of 烀 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.

Tone drillsInstant feedback+5 XP
See plans to unlock

Etymology of 烀

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

fire

Semantic (meaning)火
+
Phonetic (sound)乎
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 烀

  1. 1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half乎 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayfire
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 烀? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 烀?

Decomposition of 烀

IDS Structure⿰火乎
烀Full Character
=
火Huo3
left
乎hu1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 烀?

How to say to simmer, to cook over a slow fire in Chinese

“to simmer, to cook over a slow fire” in Chinese is烀hū

The character 烀 (hū) refers to the method of cooking food slowly over a low flame or simmering it in a small amount of water. This technique helps to enhance the flavor of the ingredients while ensuring they are cooked thoroughly without burning. It is commonly used in traditional Chinese cooking for soups and stews.

When to use 烀

Be cautious not to confuse 烀 with similar cooking terms like 煮 (zhǔ), which means to boil. 烀 is used specifically for slow cooking or simmering. It is more common in informal contexts among home cooks rather than in formal culinary literature.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 烀 with 煮 and use them interchangeably, saying '我想烀水' (I want to simmer water) when they should say '我想煮水' (I want to boil water). Remember, 烀 is for simmering, not boiling.

Write 烀

烀

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 烀

Words Containing This Character1
烀hūto cook in a small quantity of water
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 烀 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 烀

烀 refers to simmering or slow cooking, while 煮 specifically means to boil. They are both cooking methods but vary in heat intensity.

Jason Recommends

Not sure what to learn after 烀?

Jason picks three words from your level and explains why each one is worth your time next. It takes a free account so he knows what you already know.