How to Write 熬 (āo/áo) — Meaning “to stew; to endure; to stay up late”

Imagine an owl (敖 sounds like "owl") staying up late by a campfire (灬) to stew a soup. The owl is determined to endure the long night, linking both the cooking and endurance meanings. This silly image helps you recall both the shape and the meanings.

The top part 敖 has 10 strokes and includes a 攵 component on the right; be careful not to confuse it with 攵 (pū). The bottom radical 灬 has four dots that should be evenly spaced and smaller than the upper part. Common mistakes include making the dots too large or uneven.

All three share the bottom radical 灬, but their tops differ: 熬 has 敖 (stew/endure), 焦 has 隹 (bird) meaning burnt or scorched, and 然 has 犬 (dog) meaning correct or a state suffix. For example, 熬汤 is about cooking slowly, while 焦点 means a burning point or focus.

You often hear 熬夜 (áo yè) for staying up late, a common habit among students and workers. 熬汤 (áo tāng) means to slowly cook soup or broth, and 熬药 (áo yào) refers to decocting traditional Chinese medicine. Culturally, 熬 carries a sense of perseverance, as in enduring a long process.

Common words containing 熬 include: 熬夜 (áo yè) — to stay up late; 熬汤 (áo tāng) — to make soup; to stew soup; 熬药 (áo yào) — to decoct herbal medicine.