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March 24, 2026
煮(煑)zhǔ(zhu3)
The character 煮 (zhǔ) means 'to boil' or 'to cook,' typically referring to the process of cooking food in water or broth. It is commonly used in culinary contexts and implies a method of preparing food that involves heating it to a temperature that causes boiling.
Strokes12Radical灬Frequency#2982DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, boiling is a common cooking method used for soups and stews, which are staples in many regional diets. The practice of boiling ingredients together is often seen in traditional dishes like hot pot.
Memory Tip
Imagine a chef named Zhu who is known for boiling the best noodles. The character 煮 has the radical 火 (huǒ), meaning 'fire,' which reminds you that cooking involves heat. The 'zhǔ' sounds like 'chew,' hinting that once you boil the food, you can enjoy eating it.
Meanings of 煮
zhǔ(zhu3)
1to boil, to cook
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
Choose the correct answer:
About 煮
煮Simplified
煑Traditional
12Strokes
灬Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#2982Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRC1
Podcast: 煮
Podcast: 煮
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AI Study Notes for 煮
Quick Contrast
煮 (zhǔ) vs 炖 (dùn) — use 煮 for boiling, while 炖 refers to slow cooking or stewing.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a chef named Zhu who is known for boiling the best noodles. The character 煮 has the radical 火 (huǒ), meaning 'fire,' which reminds you that cooking involves heat. The 'zhǔ' sounds like 'chew,' hinting that once you boil the food, you can enjoy eating it.
Usage Notes
Learners often confuse 煮 with other cooking verbs like 烤 (kǎo, to roast) or 炒 (chǎo, to stir-fry). 煮 is typically used in informal contexts when discussing home cooking, while more formal culinary language may use other terms. Be careful with the third tone, as it can affect meaning in different contexts.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 煮 connects well with other cooking-related terms such as 烹饪 (pēngrèn, cooking) and 食物 (shíwù, food). Students should focus on using it in sentences that describe cooking methods and practice its pronunciation.
Cultural Note
In Chinese culture, boiling is a common cooking method used for soups and stews, which are staples in many regional diets. The practice of boiling ingredients together is often seen in traditional dishes like hot pot.
Common Mistakes
Learners sometimes mistakenly use 煮 to imply grilling or frying, leading to sentences like '我煮鸡肉在锅里' (I boiled chicken in the pan), which should be '我煎鸡肉在锅里' (I pan-fried the chicken). Correct usage should specify boiling only.
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 煮
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Grammar Patterns of 煮
煮 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. 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
Used to emphasize the action of cooking, particularly in specifying the method or time.
❝
这道菜是我煮的。
Zhè dào cài shì wǒ zhǔ de.
This dish was cooked by me.
Exercise 1 of 1
Build the Sentence
This dish was cooked by me.
Tap tokens to build the sentence
Common Confusions with 煮
煮vs烹
pēng
Both relate to cooking but 烹 usually refers to a more elaborate cooking method.
煮 is the act of boiling, while 煮熟 indicates that the food is cooked through.
1
这汤还没煮熟。
煮 is the act of boiling, while 煮熟 indicates that the food is cooked through.
💡Remember 煮熟 as '熟' meaning 'ripe' or 'cooked', indicating completion.
Exercise 1 of 1
Spot the Difference
Which character means "to boil, to cook"?
or
Usage Notes for 煮
Misuse in cooking contextCommon Error
Learners often confuse 煮 with other cooking verbs like 炒 (to stir-fry) or 烤 (to roast).
Most of the food is cooked on a large wood-fired oven.
Exercise 1 of 1
Reorder the Sentence
You will need a pot of broth for poaching.
Tap tokens to build the sentence
Cultural Notes for 煮
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese culture, boiling is a common cooking method used for soups and stews, which are staples in many regional diets. The practice of boiling ingredients together is often seen in traditional dishes like hot pot.
Word Family of 煮
Words Containing This Character6
煮zhǔto cook
煮饭to cook煮飯
煮沸to boil
生米煮成熟饭the rice is cooked生米煮成熟飯
焚琴煮鹤lit. to burn zithers and cook cranes焚琴煮鶴
煮豆燃萁burning beanstalks to cook the beans (idiom); to cause internecine strife
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 煮 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 煮
煮 specifically refers to boiling or cooking in water, while verbs like 烤 and 炒 refer to roasting and stir-frying, respectively.
While 煮 is mainly used for foods that require boiling, it can also refer to cooking methods for certain vegetables and meats.
Though commonly used in everyday language, 煮 may not be the preferred term in gourmet cooking contexts, where more specialized vocabulary is used.
