How to Write 炊 (chuī) — Meaning “to cook; to steam”

Imagine you are cooking over a fire (火) and you owe (欠) yourself a good meal after all that work. The visual of fire and an empty stomach helps link the parts to the meaning to cook.

Write the left radical 火 first: dot, short left-falling stroke, right-falling stroke, then the right side 欠: left-falling stroke, horizontal hook, left-falling stroke, and final right-falling stroke. Keep the left side slightly narrower than the right, and ensure the last stroke of 欠 extends below the radical.

炊 (chuī) means to cook and has 欠 on the right. 灯 (dēng) means lamp and has 丁 (a nail) on the right. 灰 (huī) means ash and has 厂 (cliff) over 火. Focus on the right-side component: 欠 for cooking, 丁 for lamp, and the extra stroke in 灰 for ash.

炊 appears in words like 炊具 (cooking utensils) and 野炊 (outdoor cooking or picnic). It is also found in 炊烟 (smoke from cooking), which often evokes a nostalgic image of village life. Though not in HSK, it is commonly used in everyday descriptions of food preparation and outdoor activities.

Common words containing 炊 include: 炊具 (chuī jù) — cooking utensils; 野炊 (yě chuī) — Outdoor cooking; picnic; 炊烟 (chuī yān) — cooking smoke.