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腌 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
腌yānto salt, to cure; to pickle, to marinatev, 12 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #8924, Hard
腌yānto cure (meat)unknown, 12 strokes, radical ⺼, rank #8924, Hard
yān(yan1) T1
  1. 1to salt, to cure; to pickle, to marinate
  2. 2to cure (meat)
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March 24, 2026

腌(醃)yān(yan1)

The character 腌 (yān) primarily means to salt or marinate food, typically vegetables or meats, to enhance flavor and preservation. It is commonly used in culinary contexts, especially in traditional Chinese cooking where pickling and curing are prevalent methods of food preparation.

Strokes12Radical⺼Frequency#8924DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, pickling is a traditional method that reflects the importance of flavor and preservation, especially in regions where fresh produce might not be available year-round. 腌 is often associated with the preparation of popular dishes like pickled mustard greens.

Memory Tip

Imagine a chef named Yan who is always salting his dishes. The character 腌 has the radical for 'flesh' (月), indicating its connection to food, while the 'salt' component (氵) hints at the preservation process. Visualize Yan standing by a large jar of pickles, emphasizing the idea of marinating and salting.

Meanings of 腌

yān(yan1)
1to salt, to cure; to pickle, to marinate
2to cure (meat)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 腌

腌Simplified
醃Traditional
12Strokes
⺼Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 腌

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Podcast: 腌

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AI Study Notes for 腌

Quick Contrast

腌 (yān) vs 酱 (jiàng) — use 腌 when referring to salting or marinating, while 酱 refers to sauces made from fermented ingredients.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a chef named Yan who is always salting his dishes. The character 腌 has the radical for 'flesh' (月), indicating its connection to food, while the 'salt' component (氵) hints at the preservation process. Visualize Yan standing by a large jar of pickles, emphasizing the idea of marinating and salting.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 腌 (yān) with similar characters like 醃 (yān), which also means to pickle but is less common. It's used in both formal and informal settings, especially in cooking contexts. Pay attention to the tone, as mispronouncing it can change the meaning.

HSK Study Tips

Though not in the standard HSK levels, 腌 can be compared to HSK 3 cooking-related vocabulary. Students should focus on its usage in recipes or food discussions to build contextual understanding.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, pickling is a traditional method that reflects the importance of flavor and preservation, especially in regions where fresh produce might not be available year-round. 腌 is often associated with the preparation of popular dishes like pickled mustard greens.

Common Mistakes

Learners sometimes confuse 腌 with 醃 and use them interchangeably, which can lead to misunderstandings. For example, saying '我腌鱼' (wǒ yān yú) is correct for 'I pickle fish,' but using 醃 here would be less common in everyday speech.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 腌

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Etymology of 腌

Formation TypeIdeographic 指事
六书 ClassificationIdeograph (指事字)~2% of characters
Memory Hint

Meat ⺼ left 奄 in salt; 奄 also provides the pronunciation

Learn more about Ideograph (指事字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 腌?

Decomposition of 腌

IDS Structure⿰⺼奄
腌Full Character
=
⺼rou4
left
奄yan1
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 腌?

Write 腌

腌

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

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Grammar Patterns of 腌

腌 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 2 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

酸黄瓜、果酱、____浆果、西红柿，凡是你说得出的，他们都有。

Pickled cucumbers, jam, pickled berries, tomatoes; you name it, they've got it.

Example Sentences for 腌 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
酸黄瓜、果酱、腌浆果、西红柿，凡是你说得出的，他们都有。

suān huáng guā、 、 guǒ、 jiàng 、 ā、 jiāng guǒ 、， xī hóng shì ， fán shì nǐ， shuō dé chū de。

Pickled cucumbers, jam, pickled berries, tomatoes; you name it, they've got it.
2
小块腌洋葱可用来替代切片洋葱。

xiǎo kuài ā yáng cōng kě yòng lái tì dài qiē piàn yáng cōng。

Small pickling onions can be used instead of sliced ones.
3
不要买腌制的甜菜根，买生的来自己煮。

bù yào mǎi ā zhì de tián cài gēn， ， mǎi shēng de lái zì jǐ。

Don't use pickled beetroot, but buy it uncooked and cook it yourself.
4
鱼或海鲜被抹了厚厚的纯盐腌制起来。

yú huò hǎi xiān bèi mǒ le hòu hòu de chún yán ā zhì qǐ lái。

The fish or seafood is heavily salted with pure sodium chloride.
5
鱼被切成块腌起来了.

yú bèi qiē chéng kuài ā qǐ lái le.

The fish are cut and salted.
6
他们腌鳕鱼留着冬天吃.

tā mén ā xuě yú liú zháo dōng tiān chī.

They salt down cod for winter use.
7
他闻到一股腌肉的油脂味儿。

tā wén dào yī gǔ ā ròu de yóu zhī wèi ér。

He could smell the bacon grease.
8
我喜欢做果泥，只需要用一点糖把李子腌一下。

wǒ xǐ huān zuò guǒ ní， ， zhī xū yào yòng yī diǎn táng bǎ lǐ zǐ ā yī。

I like to make puree, using only enough sugar to preserve the plums.
9
猪丹毒杆菌对盐腌, 酸浸, 烟熏很有抵抗力.

zhū dān dú gān jūn duì yán ā, , suān, jìn , yān xūn hěn yǒu dǐ.

The erysipelas organism is quite resistant to salting, pickling, and smoking.
10
鱼和马铃薯都是醋腌的。

yú hé mǎ líng shǔ dū shì cù ā de。

The fish and chips are both vinegared.

Cultural Notes for 腌

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, pickling is a traditional method that reflects the importance of flavor and preservation, especially in regions where fresh produce might not be available year-round. 腌 is often associated with the preparation of popular dishes like pickled mustard greens.

Word Family of 腌

Words Containing This Character4
腌yānto salt醃
腌制marinated腌製
腌渍to pickle醃漬
腌货pickles腌貨
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 腌 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 腌

You can say '我喜欢腌黄瓜' (Wǒ xǐhuān yān huángguā), which means 'I like to pickle cucumbers.'