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爨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
爨cuànoven, stove; to cookzg, 30 strokes, radical 火
爨cuànsurname Cuanunknown, 30 strokes, radical 火
cuàn(Cuan4) T4
  1. 1oven, stove; to cook
Also a Chinese surname, Cuan — see the Surname Dictionary
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

爨cuàn(Cuan4)

The character 爨 (cuàn) refers to a traditional cooking appliance, specifically an oven or stove. It can also imply the act of cooking itself. While not commonly used in modern contexts, it is significant in historical texts and culinary discussions.

Strokes30Radical火
Cultural Note

In ancient Chinese culture, cooking was not just a necessity but an art form, with specialized tools like the oven (爨) symbolizing the importance of culinary skills in family and community gatherings.

Memory Tip

Imagine a small, ancient oven (the character's shape resembles a stove) where delicious meals are cooked. The pronunciation 'cuàn' can be remembered by thinking of 'cooking' with 'an' added for warmth, as in a cozy kitchen.

Meanings of 爨

cuàn(Cuan4)
1oven, stove; to cook
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 爨

爨Simplified
30Strokes
火Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 爨

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Podcast: 爨

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 爨

Usage Notes

While 爨 is recognized, it is often replaced by more modern terms for cooking appliances in daily conversation. It's more formal and may appear in literary contexts, so be cautious of using it in casual speech. Remember that the tone is crucial; it should always be pronounced with a falling tone.

HSK Study Tips

Though not part of the standard HSK vocabulary, understanding 爨 can enhance your grasp of culinary terms. Focus on related cooking words and phrases, as they often appear in HSK levels 3 and 4, expanding your vocabulary in practical contexts.

Common Mistakes

Learners might confuse 爨 with more common words for stove or cooking, such as 炉 (lú) or 煮 (zhǔ). For example, saying '我用爨做饭' is incorrect; the correct term would be '我用炉子做饭'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 爨

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Etymology of 爨

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

fire

Semantic (meaning)火
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 爨

  1. 1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
  2. 2The giveawayfire
  3. 3On the record aspictophonetic.

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

Want the full history of 爨? 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 爨?

Decomposition of 爨

IDS Structure⿱⿳?林大火
爨Full Character
=
林Lin2
top
大da4
middle
火Huo3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 3

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 爨?

How to say oven, stove; to cook in Chinese

“oven, stove; to cook” in Chinese is爨cuàn

The character 爨 (cuàn) refers to a traditional cooking appliance, specifically an oven or stove. It can also imply the act of cooking itself. While not commonly used in modern contexts, it is significant in historical texts and culinary discussions.

When to use 爨

While 爨 is recognized, it is often replaced by more modern terms for cooking appliances in daily conversation. It's more formal and may appear in literary contexts, so be cautious of using it in casual speech. Remember that the tone is crucial; it should always be pronounced with a falling tone.

What learners get wrong

Learners might confuse 爨 with more common words for stove or cooking, such as 炉 (lú) or 煮 (zhǔ). For example, saying '我用爨做饭' is incorrect; the correct term would be '我用炉子做饭'.

Write 爨

爨

Practice writing 爨 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 爨

Words Containing This Character1
爨cuànto cook
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 爨 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 爨

It's rarely used in everyday conversation and mostly appears in historical texts or literature.

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