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甑 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
甑zènga boiler for steaming ricezg, 16 strokes, radical 瓦, rank #65706, Very Hard
甑zèngcauldronunknown, 16 strokes, radical 瓦, rank #65706, Very Hard
甑zèngrice potunknown, 16 strokes, radical 瓦, rank #65706, Very Hard
zèng(zeng4) T4
  1. 1a boiler for steaming rice
  2. 2cauldron
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

甑zèng(zeng4)

The character 甑 (zèng) refers to a traditional cooking vessel used for steaming rice or other foods. It typically has a perforated bottom that allows steam to circulate, making it an essential tool in Chinese cuisine for preparing dishes like bamboo rice. In modern contexts, it can also imply a cauldron or pot used for boiling.

Strokes16Radical瓦Frequency#65706DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, steaming food is a popular cooking method that retains nutrients and flavor, making the 甑 an important tool in many households. The practice of using such vessels dates back centuries, reflecting traditional culinary techniques.

Memory Tip

Imagine a steaming pot of rice with the character 甑 representing it. The left side resembles a cooking pot, while the right side hints at the steam rising, connecting both to the pronunciation 'zèng' with a sound like 'zing' when the rice is perfectly cooked.

Meanings of 甑

zèng(zeng4)
1a boiler for steaming rice
2cauldron
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 甑

甑Simplified
16Strokes
瓦Radical
状态词stative word (stat.)Part of Speech
#—Frequency Rank

Podcast: 甑

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Podcast: 甑

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AI Study Notes for 甑

Usage Notes

This term is more commonly used in culinary contexts and is not frequently encountered in everyday conversation. Be cautious with pronunciation; learners often confuse it with similar-sounding words. Common collocations include '蒸米' (zhēng mǐ - steamed rice) and '锅' (guō - pot), as in '甑锅' (zèng guō - steaming pot).

HSK Study Tips

Although 甑 is not included in the HSK vocabulary lists, it can be associated with HSK level 4 terms related to cooking, like '饭' (fàn - rice) and '锅' (guō - pot). Students should focus on recognizing the character in culinary contexts and understanding its usage in traditional cooking methods.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 甑 with similar characters, like 锅 (guō), which refers to a pot used for boiling. For instance, saying '我用锅蒸饭' (Wǒ yòng guō zhēng fàn) instead of '我用甑蒸饭' (Wǒ yòng zèng zhēng fàn) is incorrect when specifically referring to steaming rice.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 甑

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Etymology of 甑

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

Phonosemantic compound. 瓦 represents the meaning and 曾 represents the sound. Originally written as 曾.

Memory Hint

pottery

Semantic (meaning)瓦
+
Phonetic (sound)曾
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 甑

Phonosemantic compound. 瓦 represents the meaning and 曾 represents the sound. Originally written as 曾.

  1. 1The meaning half瓦 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half曾 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawaypottery
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 甑? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 甑?

Decomposition of 甑

IDS Structure⿰曾瓦
甑Full Character
=
曾ceng2
left
瓦wa3
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 甑?

How to say a boiler for steaming rice in Chinese

“a boiler for steaming rice” in Chinese is甑zèng

The character 甑 (zèng) refers to a traditional cooking vessel used for steaming rice or other foods. It typically has a perforated bottom that allows steam to circulate, making it an essential tool in Chinese cuisine for preparing dishes like bamboo rice. In modern contexts, it can also imply a cauldron or pot used for boiling.

When to use 甑

This term is more commonly used in culinary contexts and is not frequently encountered in everyday conversation. Be cautious with pronunciation; learners often confuse it with similar-sounding words. Common collocations include '蒸米' (zhēng mǐ - steamed rice) and '锅' (guō - pot), as in '甑锅' (zèng guō - steaming pot).

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 甑 with similar characters, like 锅 (guō), which refers to a pot used for boiling. For instance, saying '我用锅蒸饭' (Wǒ yòng guō zhēng fàn) instead of '我用甑蒸饭' (Wǒ yòng zèng zhēng fàn) is incorrect when specifically referring to steaming rice.

Write 甑

甑

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

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Word Family of 甑

Words Containing This Character1
甑zèngcauldron
Exercise 1 of 1

Compound Meaning

What does 甑 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 甑

甑 specifically refers to a steaming pot, while other vessels like 锅 (guō) are used for boiling or frying.

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