熬 meaning and stroke order
To cook on a slow fire; to extract by heating; to decoct; to endure
How to write 熬, stroke by stroke
14 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 熬
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- to cook on a slow fire; to extract by heating; to decoct
- to endure
- to simmer; to boil slowly
How 熬 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Fire.
灬 gives the meaning and 敖 hints at the sound.
Radical: 灬 (fire), shared by 28 characters on this site.
How to remember 熬
The bottom part 灬 is fire, and the top part 敖 (áo) gives the sound. Picture a pot sitting over a low fire for hours, which is both slow cooking and slow suffering.
熬 (áo) is used for slow cooking like soups, porridge, or herbal medicine, and figuratively for getting through something hard over time. The most common everyday word is 熬夜 (áoyè). 我昨天熬夜看书。(Wǒ zuótiān áoyè kàn shū.) I stayed up late reading last night.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 熬 with 傲 (ào, proud), which shares the 敖 part but has the person radical 亻 and a fourth tone. Remember that 熬 has fire 灬 underneath because it is about heat.
Common words with 熬
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
熬 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Questions about 熬
How many strokes are in 熬?
熬 is written with 14 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 熬 mean?
熬 (áo) means to cook on a slow fire; to extract by heating; to decoct; to endure. A common word with it is 熬夜 (áoyè), meaning "to stay up late or all night".
How do you pronounce 熬?
熬 is pronounced áo, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 熬?
The radical of 熬 is 灬, which carries the idea of "fire". Dictionaries list 熬 under this radical.
Is 熬 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 熬 is part of the HSK 7-9 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
When is 熬 pronounced āo instead of áo?
The first tone āo appears in some colloquial cooking contexts, such as 熬白菜 (āo báicài), meaning to stew cabbage. In most words, including 熬夜 and 煎熬, it is áo.
What is the difference between 熬 and 煮 (zhǔ)?
煮 (zhǔ) is general boiling or cooking in water. 熬 suggests a long, slow simmer until things thicken or release their flavor, as in 熬粥 (áo zhōu), to cook porridge, or 熬汤 (áo tāng), to simmer soup.