Learn a Chinese Character - 烤

1. Character Basics

Radical: 火 (fire radical)

Stroke Count: 10

Stroke Order:

2. Pronunciation

Pinyin: kǎo

3. Meaning

English meaning: to roast, to bake, to grill

4. Common Words

• 烤肉 (kǎo ròu) - roast meat, grilled meat
• 烤面包 (kǎo miàn bāo) - baked bread
• 烤炉 (kǎo lú) - oven, grill
• 烧烤 (shāo kǎo) - barbecue
• 烤鸭 (kǎo yā) - roasted duck

5. Grammar & Usage

Usage notes:

• 主要用作动词，表示用热量加工食物
• 常见结构：烤 + 食物 (例如：烤肉、烤面包)
• 有时可以重叠使用，如"烤一烤"表示稍微烤一下

6. Cultural Background

Roasting and grilling have a long history in Chinese cuisine. One of the most famous dishes is Peking Roast Duck (北京烤鸭), which dates back to the imperial era. In recent years, barbecues (烧烤) have become extremely popular, especially during summer months when people gather outdoors to cook and socialize.

7. Example Sentence

8. Memory Tips

Mnemonic: The character "烤" has "火" (fire) on the left and "考" (test) on the right. Imagine testing the heat when roasting food over a fire.