Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 烤 | kǎo |
| 烘 | hōng |
| 焙燒 / 焙烧 | bèishāo |
| 烘烤 | hōngkǎo |
The term 烤 is a broad verb that can mean to bake, roast or grill depending on the context. While it is commonly used to denote baking, it primarily refers to the general process of roasting or grilling. If you want to refer to the appliance used for baking, use the noun 烤箱, which literally means 'bake box'.
Which one should you use?
The forms vary based on the specific heat-based action being described. 烤 is the most common and general term for baking, roasting or grilling. In contrast, 烘 emphasizes the use of dry heat to dry something out or warm a surface, such as drying tea leaves. The compound verb 烘烤 is a more descriptive or formal way to say 'to bake' or 'to roast' than the single syllable 烤. Finally, 焙烧 is a technical or industrial term used for processes like calcining minerals or high-temperature roasting in manufacturing, rather than domestic baking.
How do you pronounce it?
kǎo
When do people say it?
If you want to say 'Happy baking!', you can use the phrase 祝你烘焙愉快.
Did you know?
- The character 烤 was originally written as 熇. This archaic form emphasized the intense nature of the heat involved in the process.
- Because 烤 is used for both grilling and baking, a 'BBQ' is often referred to as 烤肉, which literally means 'roasted meat'. This phrase covers everything from a home grill to a professional rotisserie.
- The character 烤 contains the radical for 'fire' (火) on the left side, signaling its connection to heat. This visual hint helps you identify that the action involves thermal energy.
Examples in context
- 你在你的厨房里烤东西。You bake in your kitchen.This sentence shows where you might bake in a kitchen using 烤.Tatoeba #13919901 by jan_OkulaJu, translation #1709289 by Amastan
- 廚房有烤箱，可以用來烤麵包。There is an oven to bake bread in the kitchen.This sentence identifies the oven as a tool used to bake bread using 烤.Tatoeba #13556530 by LeviHighway, translation #4764609 by Stalwartlover
- 我有好久都没烤面包了。要不今天烤点儿？I haven't baked bread in a long time. How about we bake a little today?This sentence provides an example of a desire to bake bread using 烤.Tatoeba #4267285 by notabene, translation #9491252 by luxdelumine
- 我喜欢烘焙各种美味的甜点。I enjoy baking all kinds of delicious desserts.
- 今天我要烤蛋糕，你想尝一尝吗？Today, I am going to bake a cake. Do you want to try a piece?
Example conversation
A couple is deciding what to make for dessert in their kitchen.
- 浩然 Haoran晓雯，你想烤点什么吗？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng kǎo diǎn shénme ma?Xiaowen, do you want to bake something?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想烤一些曲奇。Wǒ xiǎng kǎo yīxiē qǔqí.I want to bake some cookies.
- 浩然 Haoran好啊，那我去准备材料。Hǎo a, nà wǒ qù zhǔnbèi cáiliào.Okay, then I will go prepare the ingredients.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen浩然，谢谢你。Hàorán, xièxiè nǐ.Haoran, thank you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bake” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 烤, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
