Definitions

yáo (noun) kiln; furnace; oven
yáo (noun) cave dwelling

Etymology

An oven  where pots  are fired;  also provides the pronunciation

About

The character for kiln, traditionally written as 窯 with the radical 穴 (cave) above the component 羔 (lamb), was later simplified to 窑, which substitutes 羔 with 缶 (earthenware). Its etymology relates to enclosed structures like caves or pits used for firing ceramics, and over time its meaning centered on furnaces for baking pottery, bricks, or porcelain, occasionally extending to similar industrial ovens. The structural change from a phonetic compound to one incorporating 缶 reinforced the direct semantic association with pottery-making.

Etymology Hide

Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Seal etymology image
Seal Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

这个村子有很多洞。

Zhège cūnzi yǒu hěnduō yáodòng.

There are many cave dwellings in this village.

那座旧砖已经废弃了。

Nà zuò jiù zhuānyáo yǐjīng fèiqì le.

That old brick kiln has been abandoned.

陶瓷要在里高温烧制。

Táocí yào zài yáo lǐ gāowēn shāozhì.

Ceramics must be fired at high temperatures in a kiln.

中国古代的瓷器名扬海外。

Zhōngguó gǔdài de cíqì míng yáng hǎiwài.

Ancient Chinese porcelain is famous overseas.

考古学家发现了一座汉代址。

Kǎogǔ xuéjiā fāxiàn le yī zuò Hàndài yáozhǐ.

Archaeologists discovered a Han dynasty kiln site.

这座现代气的温度控制非常精准。

Zhè zuò xiàndài qìyáo de wēndù kòngzhì fēicháng jīngzhǔn.

The temperature control of this modern gas kiln is very precise.

景德镇的火千年不息。

Jǐngdézhèn de yáo huǒ qiān nián bù xī.

The kiln fires of Jingdezhen have burned for a thousand years without ceasing.

他把旧厂房改造成了艺术工作室。

Tā bǎ jiù chǎngfáng gǎizào chéngle yìshù yáo gōngzuòshì.

He converted the old factory building into an art kiln studio.