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烫 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
烫tàngto scaldHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngto burn (by scalding)HSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngto blanch (cooking)HSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngto heat (sth) up in hot waterHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngto permHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngto ironHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngscalding hotHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
烫tàngto scald; to iron clothes or hairHSK 6, v, 10 strokes, radical 火, rank #3305, Hard
tàng(tang4) T4
  1. 1to scald
  2. 2to burn (by scalding)
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026
烫(燙)tàng(tang4)

The character 烫 (tàng) primarily means 'to scald' or 'to burn by scalding.' It is commonly used in the context of cooking, such as blanching vegetables or heating food in hot water. Additionally, it can refer to processes like perming hair or ironing clothes, indicating actions involving heat.

Strokes10Radical火Frequency#3305DifficultyHard
Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of blanching (烫) vegetables is essential for preserving their color and texture, reflecting the importance of food presentation in Chinese culture.

Memory Tip

Think of a hot pot bubbling with water – if you touch it, it will 'tàng' (burn/scald) you! The character 烫 has the fire radical 火, which emphasizes its connection to heat and burning.

Meanings of 烫

tàng(tang4)
1to scald
2to burn (by scalding)
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 烫

烫Simplified
燙Traditional
10Strokes
火Radical
形容词xíngróngcíadjective (adj.)Part of Speech
#3305Frequency Rank
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L6AdvancedCEFRC2

Podcast: 烫

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Podcast: 烫

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AI Study Notes for 烫

Quick Contrast

烫 (tàng) vs 热 (rè) — use 烫 for actions involving scalding or burning, while 热 refers to something being hot in temperature without the implication of burning.

Memory Mnemonic

Think of a hot pot bubbling with water – if you touch it, it will 'tàng' (burn/scald) you! The character 烫 has the fire radical 火, which emphasizes its connection to heat and burning.

Usage Notes

Be careful not to confuse 烫 with 热 (rè), which means 'hot' in a more general sense. 烫 is more specific to burning or scalding with heat. It is used in both formal and informal contexts but tends to be more commonly used in everyday conversations about cooking and hair styling.

HSK Study Tips

As an HSK Level 5 word, 烫 connects with other cooking-related vocabulary, such as 煮 (zhǔ - to boil) and 炒 (chǎo - to stir-fry). Focus on using 烫 in practical cooking scenarios or when discussing hair styling to reinforce its meaning.

Cultural Note

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of blanching (烫) vegetables is essential for preserving their color and texture, reflecting the importance of food presentation in Chinese culture.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 烫 with the character 热 (rè) when they want to describe something as hot. For example, saying '水很烫' (Shuǐ hěn tàng - The water is hot) is incorrect; it should be '水很热' (Shuǐ hěn rè).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 烫

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Etymology of 烫

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

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 汤 represents the sound. Simplified form of 燙.

Memory Hint

fire

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

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 烫?

Decomposition of 烫

IDS Structure⿱汤火
烫Full Character
=
汤shang1
top
火Huo3
bottom
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 烫?

Write 烫

烫

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

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Grammar Patterns of 烫

烫 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 8 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 5

Complete the Sentence

你常出汗或是脸上常发____吗？

Do you sweat a lot or flush a lot?

Common Confusions with 烫

烫vs烤
kǎo

Both characters have the 火 radical, but different meanings.

Exercise 1 of 1

Spot the Difference

Which character means "to scald"?

or

Usage Notes for 烫

Confusion with '烤'Common Error

Learners might confuse 烫 with 烤 due to their similar radicals. Remember that 烫 specifically involves scalding or burning with hot liquid, while 烤 refers to roasting or baking.

1

小心，不要烫到！

Be careful not to scald yourself!

2

我喜欢吃烤肉。

I like to eat roasted meat.

Exercise 1 of 1

Fill in the Blank

小心，不要____到！

Be careful not to scald yourself!

Example Sentences for 烫 (10)

Listen to all sentences once to receive XP
1
你常出汗或是脸上常发烫吗？

nǐ cháng chū hàn huò shì liǎn shàng cháng fā tàng ma？

Do you sweat a lot or flush a lot?
2
滚烫的液体泼在水泥地面上又溅了起来。

gǔn tàng de yè tǐ pō zài shuǐ ní dì miàn shàng yòu jiàn le qǐ lái。

The hot liquid splashed down on the concrete and rebounded.
3
哇，好烫啊！

wā， ， hǎo tàng！

Gee, it's hot.
4
“哟，好烫啊，”他说。

“ “， yō ， hǎo，” tàng ā。

"Whew," he said. "It's hot."
5
她那广受欢迎的防烫布垫也可以自己购买原料套装自己制作。

tā nà guǎng shòu huān yíng de fáng tàng bù diàn yě kě yǐ zì jǐ gòu mǎi yuán liào tào zhuāng zì jǐ zhì zuò。

Her popular pot holder is also available in do-it-yourself kits.
6
金属柄的锅可能会热得烫手。

jīn shǔ bǐng de guō kě néng huì rè dé tàng shǒu。

Metal-handled pans can get really hot and burn you.
7
我想抿一口茶，可是太烫了。

wǒ xiǎng mǐn yī kǒu chá， ， kě shì tài tàng。

I tried to sip the tea but it was scalding.
8
她表兄是美发师，正在免费给她烫发。

tā biǎo xiōng shì měi fā shī， ， zhèng zài miǎn fèi gěi tā tàng。

Her cousin, a hairdresser, was perming her hair as a special treat.
9
料子可以洗,但勿用熨斗熨,或尽量少烫.

liào zǐ kě yǐ xǐ, , dàn wù yòng yùn dǒu, yùn , huò jìn liáng.

Materials are all washable and none or minimum iron.
10
他爱喝滚烫的茶.

tā ài hē gǔn tàng de chá.

He likes his tea nice and hot.

Cultural Notes for 烫

🏮Cultural insight

In Chinese cuisine, the technique of blanching (烫) vegetables is essential for preserving their color and texture, reflecting the importance of food presentation in Chinese culture.

Word Family of 烫

Words Containing This Character7
烫tàngto scald燙
烫伤to scald燙傷
烫发perm (hairstyle)燙髮
滚烫boiling滾燙
发烫burning hot發燙
烫头发perm燙頭髮
死猪不怕开水烫undaunted死豬不怕開水燙
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 烫 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 烫

You can say '我把菜烫一下' (Wǒ bǎ cài tàng yīxià), which means 'I will blanch the vegetables.'