to boil, to fry, to roast, to sauté; to trade stock
HSK 5, v, 8 strokes, radical 火, rank #1810, Hard
chǎo(chao3) T3
1to sauté
2to stir-fry
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March 24, 2026
炒chǎo(chao3)
The character 炒 (chǎo) primarily means 'to sauté' or 'to stir-fry', a common cooking method in Chinese cuisine that involves quickly frying food in a small amount of hot oil. Additionally, it can refer to speculative trading in finance or the act of hyping something up, reflecting its versatility in both culinary and economic contexts.
Strokes8Radical火Frequency#1810DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
Stir-frying is a hallmark of Chinese cuisine, exemplifying the importance of quick cooking methods that preserve the color, flavor, and nutritional value of ingredients. 炒 reflects both everyday cooking practices and the fast-paced nature of modern Chinese dining.
Memory Tip
Imagine a chef 'chao'-ing up a storm in the kitchen, tossing vegetables in a hot wok. The character 炒 combines 火 (fire) and the phonetic component 吵, evoking the image of sizzling heat and lively noise as food is stir-fried.
Meanings of 炒
chǎo(chao3)
1to sauté
2to stir-fry
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 炒
炒Simplified
8Strokes
火Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#1810Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateTOCFLL5HSKKL3CEFRC1
Podcast: 炒
Podcast: 炒
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AI Study Notes for 炒
Quick Contrast
炒 (chǎo) vs 煎 (jiān): use 炒 when referring to sautéing or stir-frying, while 煎 specifically means 'to pan-fry'.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a chef 'chao'-ing up a storm in the kitchen, tossing vegetables in a hot wok. The character 炒 combines 火 (fire) and the phonetic component 吵, evoking the image of sizzling heat and lively noise as food is stir-fried.
Usage Notes
Be careful not to confuse 炒 with other cooking methods like 煮 (zhǔ, to boil) or 烤 (kǎo, to roast). In informal contexts, it can also imply talking up an investment or project, so use it in both culinary and financial discussions appropriately.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 炒 connects with other cooking verbs and financial terminology. Students should focus on its various meanings and practice using it in different contexts to enhance vocabulary retention.
Cultural Note
Stir-frying is a hallmark of Chinese cuisine, exemplifying the importance of quick cooking methods that preserve the color, flavor, and nutritional value of ingredients. 炒 reflects both everyday cooking practices and the fast-paced nature of modern Chinese dining.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 炒 with 煮 (zhǔ, to boil) when discussing cooking methods. For instance, saying '我炒水' (wǒ chǎo shuǐ, 'I stir-fry water') is incorrect; the correct expression would be '我煮水' (wǒ zhǔ shuǐ, 'I boil water').
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 炒
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Grammar Patterns of 炒
炒 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 6 related meanings, each with its own usage notes below. The patterns below break down its most common sentence frames, with example sentences and practice buttons (Listen, Practice Writing, Practice Speaking) for each one.
是…的 emphasis是 + [V] + 的
HSK 3
This pattern is used to emphasize the action taken, often to clarify or highlight a specific aspect of the action.
❝
这道菜是炒的。
Zhè dào cài shì chǎo de.
This dish is stir-fried.
Exercise 1 of 1
Build the Sentence
This dish is stir-fried.
Tap tokens to build the sentence
Usage Notes for 炒
Mixing cooking methodsCommon Error
Learners often confuse '炒' with other cooking methods like '煮' (to boil) or '蒸' (to steam).
1
不要将蔬菜炒成汤。
Don't turn the vegetables into soup by stir-frying them.
Exercise 1 of 1
Fill in the Blank
不要将蔬菜____成汤。
Don't turn the vegetables into soup by stir-frying them.
The queue stretches several hundred yards and tickets are touted for a tenner.
10
放入对虾和鱿鱼，烹炒2分钟。
fàng rù duì xiā hé yóu yú， ， pēng2 chǎo 2。
Add the prawns and squid and cook for 2 minutes.
Cultural Notes for 炒
🏮Cultural insight
Stir-frying is a hallmark of Chinese cuisine, exemplifying the importance of quick cooking methods that preserve the color, flavor, and nutritional value of ingredients. 炒 reflects both everyday cooking practices and the fast-paced nature of modern Chinese dining.
Word Family of 炒
Words Containing This Character20
炒chǎoto sauté
炒作chǎozuòto hype
炒鱿鱼to sack sb炒魷魚
炒股chǎogǔ(coll.) to speculate in stocks
炒饭fried rice炒飯
炒菜to stir-fry
炒面"chow mein"炒麵
炒锅wok炒鍋
爆炒to conduct a media blitz
炒蛋scrambled eggs
炒股票to speculate in stocks
清炒to stir-fry
炒米fried rice
炒货roasted snacks (peanuts, chestnuts etc)炒貨
炒冷饭to stir-fry leftover rice炒冷飯
煎炒to lightly fry
炒勺ladle
炒地皮to speculate in building land
现炒现卖lit. to fry and sell on the spot現炒現賣
热炒热卖enthusiasm of the new convert熱炒熱賣
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 炒 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 炒
It means 'to sauté' or 'to stir-fry', which is a technique where food is quickly cooked in a small amount of oil.
Yes, it can refer to speculative trading or hyping up stocks and investments.
You can say '我喜欢炒菜' (wǒ xǐhuān chǎo cài), which means 'I like to stir-fry dishes'.
