炒

chǎo

少 + 火

HSK 2.0Level 5

HSK 3.0Level 5

Definitions

chǎo (verb) to stir-fry; to sauté

chǎo (verb) to speculate (in markets); to hype up

chǎo (verb) to fire; to dismiss

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 少 represents the sound.

Semantic: 火 Phonetic: 少

About

The character 炒 is a phono-semantic compound, with the semantic radical 火 (fire) on the left and the phonetic component 少 on the right. Its core meaning is the culinary technique of stir-frying, cooking ingredients quickly in a small amount of hot oil over high heat. The structure mirrors the process itself, with the fire radical denoting the necessary heat source. In modern usage, the meaning has extended to abstract concepts like hyping something for profit, financial speculation, or abruptly terminating someone’s employment.

Etymology Hide

Bronze Late Spring and Autumn (~500 BC)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

我妈妈喜欢炒菜。

wǒ mā ma xǐ huān chǎo cài.

My mother likes to stir-fry dishes.

他炒了一盘土豆丝。

tā chǎo le yī pán tǔ dòu sī.

He stir-fried a plate of shredded potatoes.

我中午吃了炒饭和炒面。

wǒ zhōng wǔ chī le chǎo fàn hé chǎo miàn.

I had fried rice and fried noodles for lunch.

很多人希望通过炒股赚钱。

hěn duō rén xī wàng tōng guò chǎo gǔ zhuàn qián.

Many people hope to make money by speculating in stocks.

媒体经常炒作明星的绯闻。

méi tǐ jīng cháng chǎo zuò míng xīng de fēi wén.

The media often sensationalizes celebrities' scandals.

这家公司因炒高房价被调查。

zhè jiā gōng sī yīn chǎo gāo fáng jià bèi diào chá.

This company is under investigation for speculating to inflate housing prices.

厨师正在用大火快速翻炒。

chú shī zhèng zài yòng dà huǒ kuài sù fān chǎo.

The chef is quickly stir-frying over high heat.

网络谣言被别有用心的人炒作。

wǎng luò yáo yán bèi bié yǒu yòng xīn de rén chǎo zuò.

Online rumors are sensationalized by people with ulterior motives.

Related Characters

Component: 少

Component: 火

炒