烫 (tàng) - to scald & to burn
烫 · tàng
to scald;
to burn;
to heat;
to iron;
very hot;
scalding
to scaldto burnto heat
Usage highlights
scald injuryiron clotheshot waterpermanent wavescalding hothot pot
Usage & contexts
Examples
- Be careful, the soup is very hot (汤很烫).
- I burned my hand with boiling water (手被开水烫伤了).
- She is ironing clothes (她在烫衣服).
- This dish is served piping hot (这道菜是烫着吃的).
Collocations
- scald injury(烫伤)
- iron clothes(烫衣服)
- hot water(烫水)
- permanent wave(烫发)
- scalding hot(滚烫)
- hot pot(烫火锅)
Idioms
- Scalding one's hand in a desperate situation(烫手山芋)
- Like a hot potato(烫手的山芋)
- Too hot to handle(烫手货)
Cultural background
FAQ- In Chinese medicine, '烫伤' (scalds) are considered a common household injury requiring immediate cooling.
- The character appears in culinary contexts describing food served at very high temperatures.
- 烫发 (hair perming) became popular in modern times as a beauty treatment.