燶 (nóng) - Burnt, scorched, overcooked & specifically refers to food that has been burned

燶Tone 2

nóng ｜ 17 strokes ｜ radical:

柠七

燶 · nóng

Burnt, scorched, overcooked;

specifically refers to food that has been burned or charred during cooking.

Burnt, scorched, overcookedspecifically refers to food that has been burned

Usage highlights

burnt ricescorched foodburnt smellburnt potscorched bottomburnt toast

Synonyms

  • 焦— burnt, scorched (more standard Mandarin)
  • 糊— burnt, pasty (common in Northern dialects)

Antonyms

  • 生— raw, uncooked
  • 鲜— fresh, not overcooked

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • The rice is burnt (饭燶了).
  • The toast got scorched (面包烤燶了).
  • Be careful not to burn the soup (小心别把汤煮燶了).
  • The bottom of the pot is burnt (锅底燶了).

Collocations

  • burnt rice(燶饭)
  • scorched food(燶食物)
  • burnt smell(燶味)
  • burnt pot(燶锅)
  • scorched bottom(燶底)
  • burnt toast(燶多士)

Idioms

  • Burnt rice and scorched vegetables(燶饭焦菜)
  • The pot is burnt and the stove is cold(锅燶灶冷)
  • Burnt head and scorched brow(焦头燶额)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Primarily used in Cantonese and Southern Chinese dialects to describe burnt food.
  • Often carries negative connotations of cooking failure or carelessness in food preparation.
  • In culinary context, represents the undesirable outcome of overheating or prolonged cooking.

FAQ