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March 24, 2026
锅(鍋)guō(guo1)
锅 (guō) refers to a pot or pan used for cooking. It can also denote a boiler in some contexts. Commonly used in kitchens, this term encompasses various types of cookware that involve heating food.
Strokes12Radical钅Frequency#5210DifficultyHard
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, the type of锅 used is essential, as different pots are designed for specific techniques, such as stir-frying or steaming, highlighting the importance of cookware in culinary traditions.
Memory Tip
Imagine a large, round pot (锅) bubbling over a fire. The character has a radical resembling a 'fire' beneath the 'pot' shape, emphasizing its cooking purpose. Think of 'guō' sounding like 'go,' as in 'go cook something delicious in your pot!'
Meanings of 锅
guō(guo1)
1pot
2pan
Exercise 1 of 2
Listen & Choose the Meaning
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About 锅
锅Simplified
鍋Traditional
12Strokes
钅Radical
名词míngcínoun (n.)Part of Speech
#5210Frequency Rank
口Measure Word
HSK 2.0L5HSK 3.0L5IntermediateHSKKL3CEFRB2
Podcast: 锅
Podcast: 锅
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AI Study Notes for 锅
Quick Contrast
锅 (guō) vs 锅子 (guōzi) — use 锅 for a more formal or general term, while 锅子 is more colloquial and informal.
Memory Mnemonic
Imagine a large, round pot (锅) bubbling over a fire. The character has a radical resembling a 'fire' beneath the 'pot' shape, emphasizing its cooking purpose. Think of 'guō' sounding like 'go,' as in 'go cook something delicious in your pot!'
Usage Notes
Be cautious with the tone; 'guō' is pronounced with the first tone, which can be confused with other similar-sounding words. It is often used in combination with other characters to specify types of pots, like '炒锅' (chǎoguō) for 'wok'.
HSK Study Tips
As an HSK Level 5 word, 锅 connects well with other cooking-related vocabulary like '饭' (fàn, rice) and '菜' (cài, dish). Focus on collocations and common phrases to enhance your cooking vocabulary.
Cultural Note
In Chinese cuisine, the type of锅 used is essential, as different pots are designed for specific techniques, such as stir-frying or steaming, highlighting the importance of cookware in culinary traditions.
Common Mistakes
Learners often confuse 锅 with other kitchenware terms, such as '碗' (wǎn, bowl). For example, saying '我用碗煮 soup' (I use a bowl to cook soup) is incorrect; it should be '我用锅煮 soup.'
AI-enhanced 2026-03-24
Pronunciation of 锅
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Grammar Patterns of 锅
锅 functions as a noun — it names a person, place, thing, or concept. Place it as a subject before the verb (主+谓) or as an object after the verb (谓+宾). Most Chinese nouns require a measure word between the number and the noun (e.g. 一个/三本). It carries 5 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.
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.
7
原来的锅炉开始往外喷火苗后他便换了个新的。
yuán lái de guō lú kāi shǐ wǎng wài pēn huǒ miáo hòu tā biàn huàn le gè xīn de。
He replaced the boiler when the last one began to spout flames.
8
把所有切好的蔬菜放入砂锅。
bǎ suǒ yǒu qiē hǎo de shū cài fàng rù shā guō。
Place all the chopped vegetables into a casserole dish.
9
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.
10
将锅里的东西倒到筛子上。
jiāng guō lǐ de dōng xī dǎo dào shāi zǐ shàng。
Empty the contents of the pan into the sieve.
Exercise 1 of 1
Reorder the Sentence
You will need a pot of broth for poaching.
Tap tokens to build the sentence
Cultural Notes for 锅
🏮Cultural insight
In Chinese cuisine, the type of锅 used is essential, as different pots are designed for specific techniques, such as stir-frying or steaming, highlighting the importance of cookware in culinary traditions.
Word Family of 锅
Words Containing This Character20
锅guōpot鍋
火锅huǒguōhotpot火鍋
锅炉boiler鍋爐
背黑锅to be made a scapegoat背黑鍋
砂锅casserole砂鍋
锅盖saucepan lid鍋蓋
平底锅frying pan平底鍋
一锅粥yīguōzhōu(lit.) a pot of porridge一鍋粥
锅巴guoba (scorched rice at the bottom of the pan)鍋巴
油锅a deep fryer油鍋
锅贴fried dumpling鍋貼
锅子pot鍋子
蒸锅steamer蒸鍋
开锅(of a pot) to boil開鍋
大锅饭lit. big rice pan大鍋飯
沙锅casserole沙鍋
炒锅wok炒鍋
高压锅pressure cooker高壓鍋
二锅头erguotou (sorghum liquor)二鍋頭
不粘锅non-stick pan不粘鍋
Exercise 1 of 4
Compound Meaning
What does 锅 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 锅
锅 generally refers to pots and pans for cooking, while 煲 (bāo) often implies a pot designed for slow cooking or boiling.
锅 is versatile but may not be suitable for all cooking methods; for example, some dishes require specialized pots.
