火锅
huǒguō
In Chinese, hotpot is 火锅 (huǒguō).
火锅 refers to a meal where diners cook various raw ingredients in a simmering pot of soup at the table. To express the act of having a hotpot meal, you typically use the verb 吃 (chī, to eat) followed by the term, forming the phrase 吃火锅. If you want to specify a certain type of hotpot, you can add descriptors before the word. For example, adding 麻辣 (málà), which means 'numbing and spicy', creates the term 麻辣火锅 for a spicy hotpot. You can also specify other ingredients, such as saying wǒ xiǎng yào xuě yú huǒ guō to mean 'I want fish hotpot' or wǒ xiǎng yào là de huǒ guō to mean 'I want spicy hotpot'. When ordering, you can adjust the spice level by saying bù yào là for 'no spice' or yào xiǎo là for 'less spice'.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 火锅 is composed of 火 (huǒ), meaning 'fire' and 锅 (guō), meaning 'pot'.
How do you pronounce it?
huǒguō
Did you know?
- The 'numbing' sensation in 麻辣火锅 comes from the Szechuan peppercorn, which contains a molecule that triggers touch receptors in the mouth rather than heat receptors.
- In some regions, 火锅 is not just a meal but a social ritual where the pot is placed in the center to symbolize unity and equality among the diners.
- The term 火 (fire) in 火锅 historically referred to the actual charcoal or wood fires used to heat the pots in traditional settings.
Examples in context
- 中国是三人在中等餐馆吃火锅自助餐一共值五块人民币而汉堡包比它贵五倍唯一的国家。您去搞明白吧……China's the only country where three people can eat at a mid-range hotpot buffet for only 5 RMB, but a hamburger costs five times as much. Figure that one out!This sentence provides a comparison regarding the cost of a hotpot buffet in China.Tatoeba #778946 by U2FS, translation #10266509 by bekindtoall
- 我们今天晚上去吃火锅吧。Wǒmen jīntiān wǎnshàng qù chī huǒguō ba.Let's go eat hotpot tonight.
- 这顿火锅非常好吃。Zhè dùn huǒguō fēicháng hǎochī.This hotpot is delicious.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for dinner.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你想吃什么？Jiāyí, nǐ xiǎng chī shénme?Jiayi, what do you want to eat?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想吃火锅。Wǒ xiǎng chī huǒguō.I want to eat hotpot.
- 志强 Zhiqiang好啊，那我们走吧。Hǎo a, nà wǒmen zǒu ba.Okay, let's go then.
- 佳怡 Jiayi太棒了！Tài bàng le!Great!
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
