Meanings of 烙
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 烙
Podcast: 烙
Podcast: 烙
Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you
New here?
AI Study Notes for 烙
烤 (kǎo) refers to baking or roasting food, typically in an oven, while 烙 (lào) specifically denotes cooking on a hot surface, often resulting in a crispy texture.
Common mistakes include confusing 烙 with other cooking-related verbs like 煮 (zhǔ, to boil) or 炒 (chǎo, to stir-fry). It is used more informally in cooking contexts, while more formal terms may be used in literature or professional settings. Be mindful of the tone; the fourth tone (lào) is crucial to convey the correct meaning.
Although 烙 is not an HSK vocabulary word, it connects to HSK Level 3 cooking terms like 煮 (zhǔ) and 炒 (chǎo). Students should focus on differentiating between these cooking methods and practice using them in sentences related to food preparation.
Learners often confuse 烙 with 煮, leading to incorrect phrases like '我想烙这个菜' (wǒ xiǎng lào zhège cài, 'I want to burn this dish'), when they mean to say 'I want to boil this dish' using 煮 (zhǔ). The correct context for 烙 is specifically for pan-cooking.
Pronunciation of 烙
Drill the tone of 烙 with AI-powered exercises, get instant feedback, and earn XP toward mastery. Interactive tone practice is part of Pro.
Etymology of 烙
Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound.
fire
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 烙
Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 各 represents the sound.
- 1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half各 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayfire
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
Want the full history of 烙? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.
Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.Character Formation Type
What type of character formation is 烙?
Decomposition of 烙
Identify the Components
Which of these is a component of 烙?
How to say to burn, to brand; hot iron in Chinese
“to burn, to brand; hot iron” in Chinese is烙
The character 烙 (lào) primarily means to burn or to brand something, often using a hot iron. It can also refer to the act of cooking something in a pan until it is crispy or well-cooked, similar to frying or baking. In culinary contexts, it denotes a specific method of preparing food with a hot surface.
When to use 烙
Common mistakes include confusing 烙 with other cooking-related verbs like 煮 (zhǔ, to boil) or 炒 (chǎo, to stir-fry). It is used more informally in cooking contexts, while more formal terms may be used in literature or professional settings. Be mindful of the tone; the fourth tone (lào) is crucial to convey the correct meaning.
烙 or something close to it
烤 (kǎo) refers to baking or roasting food, typically in an oven, while 烙 (lào) specifically denotes cooking on a hot surface, often resulting in a crispy texture.
What learners get wrong
Learners often confuse 烙 with 煮, leading to incorrect phrases like '我想烙这个菜' (wǒ xiǎng lào zhège cài, 'I want to burn this dish'), when they mean to say 'I want to boil this dish' using 煮 (zhǔ). The correct context for 烙 is specifically for pan-cooking.
Write 烙
New here? to save your writing progress and earn XP.
Practice writing 烙 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.
Grammar Patterns of 烙
烙 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 3 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.
Complete the Sentence
如果薄饼____久了，就很难卷起来。
If you overcook the pancakes they will be difficult to roll.
Example Sentences for 烙 (1)
Word Family of 烙
Compound Meaning
What does 烙印 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 烙
No, 烙 can also refer to branding, such as marking livestock with a hot iron.
Jason Recommends
Not sure what to learn after 烙?
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.