verb HSK 6
to cook (rice/food) · to prepare food by steaming or boiling
Meaning
炊 means to cook food, especially rice, typically by steaming or boiling. It's a somewhat literary or formal term that appears more in written Chinese than everyday speech. Modern speakers usually use 做饭 or 煮饭 instead for cooking rice or making meals.
Usage
This character is more common in classical texts, set phrases, and chengyu than in daily conversation. When it does appear in modern contexts, it often refers specifically to cooking rice or preparing staple foods. You'll encounter it more in idioms like 无米之炊 than as a standalone verb in casual speech.
Examples
- 01远处升起袅袅炊烟，说明村子里有人家在做饭。, .Wisps of cooking smoke rose in the distance, indicating that families in the village were preparing meals.
- 02巧妇难为无米之炊。.Even a clever housewife cannot cook without rice (you can't make something from nothing).
Common collocations
- 炊烟cooking smoke (rising from chimneys)
- 无米之炊to cook without rice (impossible task)
- 炊具cooking utensils
Origin
The character 炊 combines the fire radical 火 with 欠 (yawn, exhale), originally depicting the process of cooking with fire and the steam or smoke rising from it.