烤 meaning and stroke order
To roast; to grill; to broil; to bake; to toast (bread); to warm oneself by a fire
How to write 烤, stroke by stroke
10 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 烤
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to roast; to grill; to broil; to bake; to toast (bread)
- to warm oneself by a fire
How 烤 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
火 gives the meaning and 考 hints at the sound.
Radical: 火 (fire), shared by 128 characters on this site.
How to remember 烤
烤 puts fire 火 (huǒ) on the left and 考 (kǎo) on the right, which gives the sound. Picture food being tested (考 also means to test) over a fire to see if it is done.
烤 covers dry heat cooking such as grilling, roasting, baking and toasting, and it also means warming yourself by a fire, as in 烤火 (kǎo huǒ). It appears in everyday food words like 烤鸭 (kǎoyā) and 烧烤 (shāokǎo). Example: 我们晚上去吃烤肉吧。(Wǒmen wǎnshang qù chī kǎoròu ba.) Let's go have barbecue tonight.
Common mistake: Learners sometimes write 考 (kǎo, to test) when they mean 烤, since both are read kǎo with the same tone. If the meaning involves heat or cooking, remember to add the fire radical 火 on the left.
Common words with 烤
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 烤肉 | kǎoròu | to barbecue meat; to roast meat; barbecued meat; roast meat | HSK 5 |
| 烤鸭 | kǎoyā | roast duck | HSK 5 |
| 烧烤 | shāokǎo | barbecue; to roast | HSK 7-9 |
| 烤箱 | kǎoxiāng | oven | |
| 烤焦 | kǎojiāo | to burn (food by overroasting etc) | |
| 烤面包 | kǎomiànbāo | to toast bread; toasted bread; toast | |
| 烤鸡 | kǎojī | roast chicken | |
| 烤炉 | kǎolú | oven | |
| 烘烤 | hōngkǎo | to roast; to bake | |
| 烤饼 | kǎobǐng | scone | |
| 烤面包机 | kǎomiànbāojī | toaster |
烤 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 烤
How many strokes are in 烤?
烤 is written with 10 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 烤 mean?
烤 (kǎo) means to roast; to grill; to broil; to bake; to toast (bread); to warm oneself by a fire. A common word with it is 烤肉 (kǎoròu), meaning "to barbecue meat; to roast meat; barbecued meat; roast meat".
How do you pronounce 烤?
烤 is pronounced kǎo, in the third tone (dipping).
What is the radical of 烤?
The radical of 烤 is 火, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 烤 under this radical.
Is 烤 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 烤 is part of the HSK 5 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 烤 and 烧 when talking about cooking?
烤 means cooking with dry heat, like grilling or baking. 烧 (shāo) is broader and often means braising or stewing in sauce, as in 红烧肉 (hóngshāo ròu). The two combine in 烧烤 (shāokǎo), barbecue.
Can 烤 be used for things other than food?
Yes. 烤火 (kǎo huǒ) means to warm yourself by a fire, and you can say 烤衣服 (kǎo yīfu) for drying clothes near a heat source. The core idea is putting something close to heat.