How to Write 锅 (guō) — Meaning “Pot; pan; wok”

Imagine a metal pot (钅) shaped like a snail with a spiraled house (呙). Picture the snail's shell as the round bottom of a wok. This visual connects the metal radical to the pot's shape.

Write the left radical 钅 first with 5 strokes: the first stroke is a short horizontal, then a vertical hook, then two horizontals, and a final vertical. The right part 呙 has 7 strokes: start with the mouth (口) on top, then the inner part like a small 冂 with a vertical. A common mistake is making the left radical too wide; keep it narrow so the right side has space.

钰 (yù, rare) has the metal radical 钅 on the left but the right side is 玉 (jade), meaning a precious metal or treasure. 钱 (qián, money) has the metal radical with 戋 (jiān) on the right, meaning coins or currency. In contrast, 锅 always refers to a cooking pot, and its right side 呙 resembles a pot's shape.

锅 is used for any cooking pot, pan, or wok, such as 火锅 (hot pot) which is a popular social dining experience where people cook ingredients in a shared broth. 炒锅 (wok) is essential for stir-frying, a key technique in Chinese cuisine. The character appears often in kitchen contexts and food culture.

Common words containing 锅 include: 火锅 (huǒ guō) — Hot pot; 炒锅 (chǎo guō) — Wok; 锅盖 (guō gài) — Pot lid.