烤

kǎo: 烤 - Roast, Bake, Barbecue, Toast

Quick Summary

  • Keywords: kǎo, 烤, Chinese cooking, roast, bake, barbecue in China, Chinese BBQ, 烤鸭 (kǎo yā), 烤肉 (kǎo ròu), how to say bake in Chinese, how to say roast in Chinese, what does kao mean in Chinese, HSK 3 vocabulary.
  • Summary: Learn the versatile Chinese verb 烤 (kǎo), which means to roast, bake, barbecue, or toast. This comprehensive guide explores its use in famous dishes like Peking Duck (烤鸭), its central role in modern Chinese social gatherings like BBQ (烤肉), and its application in everyday home cooking. Discover cultural context, practical example sentences, and common related terms to master this essential HSK 3 vocabulary word.

Core Meaning

  • Pinyin (with tone marks): kǎo
  • Part of Speech: Verb
  • HSK Level: HSK 3
  • Concise Definition: To cook with dry heat, as in roasting, baking, barbecuing, or toasting.
  • In a Nutshell: 烤 (kǎo) is the go-to Chinese word for any cooking method that uses dry heat without significant oil or water. Think of the intense heat of an oven, a grill, or an open fire. It's the action behind world-famous dishes like Peking Duck (烤鸭) and the fun of a weekend barbecue (烤肉) with friends. It's a simple, essential character with a broad, delicious meaning.

Character Breakdown

  • The character 烤 (kǎo) is a phono-semantic compound, meaning it's made of two parts that give clues to its sound and meaning.
  • 火 (huǒ): The radical at the bottom means “fire.” This immediately tells you the character is related to heat, fire, or cooking.
  • 考 (kǎo): The component on top means “to test” or “to examine” and, crucially, provides the pronunciation for the entire character.
  • Combined Meaning: You can create a simple story to remember it: you use fire (火) to “test” (考) if the food is cooked through. This “fire-test” is the essence of roasting or baking.

Cultural Context and Significance

  • In Chinese culture, 烤 (kǎo) is more than just a cooking method; it's a social event. While China is famous for stir-frying (炒, chǎo), the act of 烤 brings people together in a special way.
  • Social Bonding: The modern concept of 烧烤 (shāokǎo) or 烤肉 (kǎo ròu) is a hugely popular social activity, especially among younger generations. Groups of friends will gather at a restaurant with a grill built into the table, or flock to street-side vendors for 烤串 (kǎo chuàn, grilled skewers), and spend hours talking, eating, and drinking. It's a loud, communal, and celebratory experience.
  • Comparison to Western BBQ: A Chinese BBQ (烤肉) is similar to an American backyard barbecue in that it's a social food event. However, the context is often different. While American BBQs are typically hosted at private homes, Chinese 烤肉 is very frequently a commercial affair—you go out for it. The style of cooking is also different, focusing on small, quickly-grilled pieces of meat and vegetables on skewers (串) rather than large cuts of meat slow-cooked for hours.
  • A Symbol of Prestige: On the formal end of the spectrum, 北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā), or Peking Duck, is a national treasure. It's not just a meal; it's a culinary art form and a dish often served at state banquets to honor foreign dignitaries. The perfect, crispy-skinned roast duck represents a pinnacle of Chinese cuisine.

Practical Usage in Modern China

  • Street Food (小吃 xiǎochī): You'll find 烤 (kǎo) everywhere on the streets of China. The most famous example is 烤羊肉串 (kǎo yángròu chuàn), or grilled lamb skewers, especially popular in the north and associated with Xinjiang regional cuisine. You'll also find things like 烤红薯 (kǎo hóngshǔ, roasted sweet potatoes), a common winter snack.
  • Restaurant Dining: Going out for Korean or Chinese BBQ (烤肉) is a very common way to celebrate or just hang out with friends. Everyone gathers around the grill and participates in the cooking.
  • Home Cooking: With the increasing popularity of Western-style ovens (烤箱 kǎoxiāng) in Chinese homes, 烤 (kǎo) is also used for baking. People will 烤面包 (kǎo miànbāo), bake bread, or 烤蛋糕 (kǎo dàngāo), bake cakes.
  • Figurative Use: The sun can also “roast” you. On a very hot day, you might exclaim that the sun is roasting you, using the verb 烤.

Example Sentences

  • Example 1:
    • 我们今晚去吃北京烤鸭吧！
    • Pinyin: Wǒmen jīnwǎn qù chī Běijīng kǎoyā ba!
    • English: Let's go eat Peking Duck tonight!
    • Analysis: Here, 烤 is part of the name of a famous dish, 烤鸭 (roast duck).
  • Example 2:
    • 周末我们约朋友一起去烤肉。
    • Pinyin: Zhōumò wǒmen yuē péngyǒu yīqǐ qù kǎoròu.
    • English: On the weekend, we're meeting up with friends to have a barbecue.
    • Analysis: 烤肉 (kǎoròu) literally means “roast meat” but is the common term for the social activity of having a BBQ.
  • Example 3:
    • 我第一次学着烤蛋糕，结果失败了。
    • Pinyin: Wǒ dì yī cì xué zhe kǎo dàngāo, jiéguǒ shībài le.
    • English: It was my first time learning to bake a cake, and it turned out to be a failure.
    • Analysis: This shows the use of 烤 for “baking” in a home context.
  • Example 4:
    • 冬天里，我最喜欢吃路边摊的烤红薯。
    • Pinyin: Dōngtiān lǐ, wǒ zuì xǐhuān chī lùbiān tān de kǎo hóngshǔ.
    • English: In the winter, I love eating roasted sweet potatoes from the street vendors.
    • Analysis: A classic example of 烤 used for simple, rustic street food.
  • Example 5:
    • 你需要先把烤箱预热到180度。
    • Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào xiān bǎ kǎoxiāng yùrè dào yībǎi bāshí dù.
    • English: You need to first preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
    • Analysis: Here, 烤 is part of the compound word for “oven,” 烤箱 (kǎoxiāng), which literally translates to “roast box.”
  • Example 6:
    • 这家店的烤羊肉串特别正宗。
    • Pinyin: Zhè jiā diàn de kǎo yángròu chuàn tèbié zhèngzōng.
    • English: The grilled lamb skewers at this shop are especially authentic.
    • Analysis: This demonstrates 烤 used for grilled skewers (串 chuàn), a staple of Chinese street BBQ.
  • Example 7:
    • 早上我一般会烤两片面包当早餐。
    • Pinyin: Zǎoshang wǒ yībān huì kǎo liǎng piàn miànbāo dāng zǎocān.
    • English: In the morning, I usually toast two slices of bread for breakfast.
    • Analysis: This shows 烤's usage for “toasting,” another form of cooking with dry heat.
  • Example 8:
    • 夏天的太阳太大了，感觉皮肤都要被烤焦了。
    • Pinyin: Xiàtiān de tàiyáng tài dà le, gǎnjué pífū dōu yào bèi kǎo jiāo le.
    • English: The summer sun is too strong; I feel like my skin is going to be roasted/scorched.
    • Analysis: A common figurative use of 烤 to describe the intense heat of the sun.
  • Example 9:
    • 菜单上还有烤鱼和烤蔬菜。
    • Pinyin: Càidān shàng hái yǒu kǎo yú hé kǎo shūcài.
    • English: On the menu, there is also grilled fish and roasted vegetables.
    • Analysis: Shows the versatility of 烤 with different types of food.
  • Example 10:
    • 请帮我把鸡翅烤熟一点。
    • Pinyin: Qǐng bāng wǒ bǎ jīchì kǎo shú yīdiǎn.
    • English: Please help me grill the chicken wings until they are a bit more well-done.
    • Analysis: A practical sentence you might use at a BBQ restaurant, combining 烤 with the resultative complement 熟 (shú, cooked).

Nuances and Common Mistakes

  • 烤 (kǎo) vs. Other Cooking Verbs: The most common mistake for learners is confusing 烤 with other cooking methods. They are not interchangeable.
    • 烤 (kǎo): Dry heat. Use for ovens, grills, open flames. Example: 烤鸡 (kǎo jī) - Roast chicken.
    • 炒 (chǎo): Stir-fry. Use for a wok with oil and high heat. This is the most common method in Chinese home cooking. Incorrect: 我要烤这个菜 (Wǒ yào kǎo zhège cài). This means you want to put the dish in the oven. Correct: 我要炒这个菜 (Wǒ yào chǎo zhège cài) - I want to stir-fry this dish.
    • 煎 (jiān): Pan-fry. Use for a flat pan with a bit of oil. Example: 煎鸡蛋 (jiān jīdàn) - Pan-fried egg. You wouldn't say 烤鸡蛋 for a regular fried egg.
    • 炸 (zhá): Deep-fry. Submerging food in hot oil. Example: 炸薯条 (zhá shǔtiáo) - French fries.

Related Terms and Concepts

  • 烤鸭 (kǎo yā) - Peking Duck, the most famous dish made with 烤.
  • 烤肉 (kǎo ròu) - Barbecue/grilled meat. Often refers to the social activity itself.
  • 烧烤 (shāo kǎo) - BBQ. A slightly broader term than 烤肉, often used as a noun for the style of food or the event.
  • 烤箱 (kǎo xiāng) - Oven. The “roast box” used for baking and roasting.
  • 串 (chuàn) - Skewer; a measure word for items on a stick. Often seen in 烤串 (kǎo chuàn).
  • 火 (huǒ) - Fire. The radical of 烤 and the essential element for this cooking method.
  • 熟 (shú) - Cooked, well-done, ripe. The desired result of 烤.
  • 炒 (chǎo) - To stir-fry. A contrasting cooking method involving a wok and oil.
  • 煎 (jiān) - To pan-fry. A contrasting cooking method involving a pan and a small amount of oil.
  • 炸 (zhá) - To deep-fry. A contrasting cooking method involving a large amount of hot oil.