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煎 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
煎jiānto pan fryHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, radical 灬, rank #5411, Hard
煎jiānto sautéHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, radical 灬, rank #5411, Hard
煎jiānto fry in fat or oil; to boil in waterHSK 7, v, 13 strokes, radical 灬, rank #5411, Hard
jiān(jian1) T1
  1. 1to pan fry
  2. 2to sauté
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March 24, 2026
煎jiān(jian1)

The verb 煎 (jiān) refers to the cooking method of frying food in a small amount of fat or oil, often on a flat surface such as a pan. This technique is commonly used for preparing meats or vegetables to create a crispy texture while retaining moisture. It can also imply a method of cooking that involves shallow frying or sautéing.

Strokes13Radical灬Frequency#5411DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, 煎 is a fundamental cooking technique, especially in breakfast dishes like 煎饼 (jiān bǐng, a type of savory pancake). It reflects the importance of texture and flavor in Chinese cooking.

Memory Tip

Imagine a 'pan' (the character's radical) where the food sizzles and 'jumps' as it cooks. The sound of 'jiān' rhymes with 'pan' in English, helping you remember it as the action of frying in a pan.

Meanings of 煎

jiān(jian1)
1to pan fry
2to sauté
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 煎

煎Simplified
13Strokes
灬Radical
动词dòngcíverb (v.)Part of Speech
#5411Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L6HSK 3.0L7AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 煎

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Podcast: 煎

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AI Study Notes for 煎

Quick Contrast

煮 (zhǔ) — use 煎 when the cooking method involves frying in oil, not boiling in water.

Memory Mnemonic

Imagine a 'pan' (the character's radical) where the food sizzles and 'jumps' as it cooks. The sound of 'jiān' rhymes with 'pan' in English, helping you remember it as the action of frying in a pan.

Usage Notes

Learners often confuse 煎 with 炒 (chǎo), which means to stir-fry. 煎 is typically used in more precise contexts involving less oil and lower heat than 炒. Use 煎 when discussing dishes like 煎蛋 (jiān dàn, fried egg) or 煎牛排 (jiān niúpái, pan-fried steak).

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK 6 word, 煎 connects with cooking-related vocabulary and techniques. Students should focus on its applications in recipes and dining contexts to enhance their culinary vocabulary in Mandarin.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, 煎 is a fundamental cooking technique, especially in breakfast dishes like 煎饼 (jiān bǐng, a type of savory pancake). It reflects the importance of texture and flavor in Chinese cooking.

Common Mistakes

Learners often mistakenly use 煎 when they mean to say 炒. For example, saying '我想煎这些菜' (I want to fry these vegetables) should be corrected to '我想炒这些菜' to convey the correct cooking method.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 煎

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Etymology of 煎

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

Phonosemantic compound. 灬 represents the meaning and 前 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

fire

Semantic (meaning)灬
+
Phonetic (sound)前
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 煎?

Decomposition of 煎

IDS Structure⿱前灬
煎Full Character
=
前qian2
top
灬huo3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 煎?

Write 煎

煎

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

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Grammar Patterns of 煎

煎 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 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.

Exercise 1 of 4

Complete the Sentence

这种稍加变化的可口____蛋卷做起来又快又容易。

This delicious variation on an omelette is quick and easy to prepare.

Example Sentences for 煎 (10)

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1
这种稍加变化的可口煎蛋卷做起来又快又容易。

zhè zhǒng shāo jiā biàn huà de kě kǒu jiān dàn juàn zuò qǐ lái yòu kuài yòu róng yì。

This delicious variation on an omelette is quick and easy to prepare.
2
有30户人家因为失业而正在经受煎熬。

yǒu30 30 hù rén jiā yīn wéi shī yè ér zhèng zài jīng shòu jiān。

30 families are suffering 'cause they're out of work.
3
有一次，她用煎锅狠狠地砸了我的头。

yǒu yī cì， ， tā yòng jiān guō hěn hěn dì zá le wǒ de。

Once, she walloped me over the head with a frying pan.
4
将煎蛋饼放在烤架下用文火烘烤，直到表面凝固。

jiāng jiān dàn bǐng fàng zài kǎo jià xià yòng wén huǒ hōng kǎo， ， zhí dào biǎo miàn níng。

Place the omelette under a gentle grill until the top is set.
5
再加些蔬菜使煎蛋看上去量更大。

zài jiā xiē shū cài shǐ jiān dàn kàn shàng qù liáng gēng dà。

Use extra vegetables to bulk up the omelette.
6
关小火让煎蛋的下面凝固。

guān xiǎo huǒ ràng jiān dàn de xià miàn níng gù。

Lower the heat and allow the omelet to set on the bottom.
7
我们可以把这些冷肉煎一煎作午饭吃.

wǒ mén kě yǐ bǎ zhè xiē lěng ròu jiān yī jiān zuò wǔ fàn chī.

We can fry up some of these cold meat for our lunch.
8
煎鱼要用慢火.

jiān yú yào yòng màn huǒ.

We should use slow fire to fry fish.
9
把鱼煎成薄片。

bǎ yú jiān chéng báo piàn。

Fry until the fish flakes.
10
鱼正在煎着.

yú zhèng zài jiān zháo.

The fish was frying.

Cultural Notes for 煎

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, 煎 is a fundamental cooking technique, especially in breakfast dishes like 煎饼 (jiān bǐng, a type of savory pancake). It reflects the importance of texture and flavor in Chinese cooking.

Word Family of 煎

Words Containing This Character7
煎jiānto pan fry
煎饼pancake煎餅
煎熬to suffer
煎蛋fried egg
煎锅frying pan煎鍋
煎炒to lightly fry
熬煎suffering
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 煎 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 煎

煎 refers to frying with less oil on a flat surface, while 炒 means to stir-fry, usually with more oil and constant stirring.