Definitions

chāo to blanch; to parboil

Etymology phono-semantic

fire

Semantic: Phonetic:

About

is a phono-semantic compound: the fire radical indicates a connection to heat or cooking, while supplies the pronunciation. The character's primary meaning is brightness or illumination, but it also acquired the culinary sense of blanching, briefly boiling ingredients in water. Classical texts use it to describe shining radiance, and practical contexts apply it to scalding food, keeping both meanings anchored in the concept of heat.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern