熬 (áo) - To boil, stew, or simmer & to endure hardship or suffering

熬Tone 2

áo ｜ 14 strokes ｜ radical:

安傲

熬 · áo

To boil, stew, or simmer;

to endure hardship or suffering;

to stay up late;

to extract by boiling.

To boil, stew, or simmerto endure hardship or sufferingto stay up late

Usage highlights

Stay up lateEndure hardshipSimmer soupBoil medicineExtract by boilingEndure through difficulty

Synonyms

  • 煮— to boil, to cook
  • 炖— to stew, to braise
  • 忍受— to endure, to bear

Antonyms

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • She boiled the herbs for medicine (熬药).
  • He endured through difficult times (熬过艰难时期).
  • They stayed up late studying (熬夜学习).
  • The chef simmered the soup for hours (熬汤).

Collocations

  • Stay up late(熬夜)
  • Endure hardship(熬苦)
  • Simmer soup(熬汤)
  • Boil medicine(熬药)
  • Extract by boiling(熬制)
  • Endure through difficulty(熬过去)

Idioms

  • Years of hardship finally pay off(多年媳妇熬成婆)
  • Endure through difficult times(熬过难关)
  • Painful suffering(身心煎熬)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, '熬' refers to the process of boiling herbs to extract their medicinal properties.
  • The character conveys both the physical process of cooking and the metaphorical endurance through life's challenges.
  • Staying up late ('熬夜') is common in Chinese student culture, especially during exam periods.

FAQ