釜 (fǔ) - Cauldron — a large, deep cooking pot, often & symbolizes foundation or source.

釜Tone 3

fǔ ｜ 10 strokes ｜ radical:

枫惠

釜 · fǔ

Cauldron — a large, deep cooking pot, often made of metal, used in ancient China for boiling food;

symbolizes foundation or source.

Cauldron — a large, deep cooking pot, oftensymbolizes foundation or source.

Usage highlights

Bronze cauldronIron cauldronBreak the cauldronsCauldron and tripodCauldron bottomCauldron rice

Synonyms

  • 鼎— Tripod cauldron (ritual vessel with legs)
  • 锅— Pot, wok (modern cooking vessel)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • They cooked rice in a large cauldron (釜).
  • The ancient ritual required a bronze cauldron (青铜釜).
  • Breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats (破釜沉舟) shows determination.
  • The cauldron tripod (釜鼎) was an important ceremonial vessel.

Collocations

  • Bronze cauldron(青铜釜)
  • Iron cauldron(铁釜)
  • Break the cauldrons(破釜)
  • Cauldron and tripod(釜鼎)
  • Cauldron bottom(釜底)
  • Cauldron rice(釜饭)

Idioms

  • Break the cauldrons and sink the boats(破釜沉舟)
  • Draw fuel from under the cauldron(釜底抽薪)
  • Fish in the cauldron and birds in the net(釜中之鱼，网中之鸟)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Ancient cooking vessel, often made of bronze or iron, used for boiling grains and meats.
  • Symbolizes the foundation or source of something, as in 'the root of the problem'.
  • Associated with determination and commitment in the idiom 'break the cauldrons and sink the boats'.

FAQ