Definitions

to stew in soy sauce and spices
alkaline soil; salt; brine; halogen (chemistry); crass; stupid

Etymology

Simplified form of . Depicts a container used for for salt extraction.

About

The character "卤" finds its origins in the traditional form "鹵", which pictographically represented a container holding crystalline salt, thus initially conveying concepts of saline soil or natural salt deposits. Its structural evolution, culminating in the simplified graphic, retained this foundational association with saltiness and preservation through a more condensed visual form. Over centuries, the semantic scope of the character expanded beyond its literal reference to salt, gradually encompassing the idea of brine and, by extension, the method of simmering or marinating food in a spiced, salty sauce, which led to the culinary terminology used today. This shift from denoting a raw material to describing a cooking process and its resulting dishes reflects the character's adaptation within cultural and practical contexts.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Spring and Autumn (771-476 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Early Warring States (~400 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Jin dynasty (266-420 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢吃味。

Wǒ xǐhuān chī lǔwèi.

I like to eat marinated food.

妈妈买了肉和蛋。

Māma mǎi le lǔ ròu hé lǔ dàn.

Mom bought braised meat and marinated eggs.

他用水煮了一锅鸡蛋。

Tā yòng lǔshuǐ zhǔ le yī guō jīdàn.

He boiled a pot of eggs using brine.

这家店的菜味道非常好。

Zhè jiā diàn de lǔ cài wèidào fēicháng hǎo.

The marinated dishes at this restaurant taste very good.

制的食品通常颜色较深。

Lǔ zhì de shípǐn tōngcháng yánsè jiào shēn.

Marinated foods usually have a darker color.

因为味很受欢迎,所以店里总是卖光。

Yīnwèi lǔwèi hěn shòu huānyíng, suǒyǐ diàn lǐ zǒng shì mài guāng.

Because marinated food is very popular, it always sells out at the shop.

素灯在汽车照明中也有应用。

Lǔsù dēng zài qìchē zhàomíng zhōng yě yǒu yìngyòng.

Halogen lamps are also used in automotive lighting.

制作味需要掌握火候和调味比例。

Zhìzuò lǔwèi xūyào zhǎngwò huǒhòu hé tiáowèi bǐlì.

Making marinated food requires mastering the heat and seasoning ratios.