Definitions

zào (noun) kitchen stove; cooking stove

Etymology

A clay  oven 

About

The character for "kitchen stove", traditionally written as "竈", combines the semantic component "穴" indicating a cavity or pit with "黽", an element whose original association likely pertained to the rounded or enclosed form of an early hearth. Its simplified form, "灶", emerged through a restructuring that more transparently conveys the object's nature, integrating "火" for fire and "土" for earth to denote an earthen construction used for containing fire. This evolution from a complex, somewhat opaque composition to a straightforward semantic compound reflects a broader trend toward functional clarity in the writing system, while the character's fundamental meaning as the focal point for domestic cooking and heating has endured without significant alteration.

Example Sentences Hide

厨房里有一个台。

Chúfáng lǐ yǒu yīgè zàotái.

There is a stove in the kitchen.

煤气点火很方便。

Méiqì zào diǎnhuǒ hěn fāngbiàn.

The gas stove is very convenient for lighting.

奶奶用旧烧水。

Nǎinai yòng jiù zào shāo shuǐ.

Grandma uses the old stove to boil water.

上的锅已经热了。

Zào shàng de guō yǐjīng rè le.

The pot on the stove is already hot.

清洁具时要小心。

Qīngjié zàojù shí yào xiǎoxīn.

Be careful when cleaning the stove.

现代厨房大多用电

Xiàndài chúfáng dàduō yòng diàn zào.

Modern kitchens mostly use electric stoves.

神是厨房的传统信仰。

Zàoshén shì chúfáng de chuántǒng xìnyǎng.

The kitchen god is a traditional belief in the kitchen.

他们正在安装新的嵌入式具。

Tāmen zhèngzài ānzhuāng xīn de qiànrù shì zàojù.

They are installing a new built-in stove.