How to Write 煎 (jiān) — Meaning “to pan-fry; to decoct”

Imagine putting a slice of bread 'before' (前) the 'fire' (灬) to make toast – that pan-frying action is 煎. Or picture a frying pan on a stove, with the word 'front' written on the handle, reminding you that the food goes in front of the fire.

Be careful to write the top part 前 correctly: it has a horizontal stroke on top, then two vertical lines, a horizontal line, and a large horizontal stroke at the bottom. The bottom part 灬 must be four evenly spaced dots, not strokes or dashes, and they should sit under the 前, not extend beyond its width.

煎 (jiān) means pan-frying with oil or decocting medicine, while 烹 (pēng) generally means to cook or boil, often in water or soup. 焉 (yān) is completely different – it is a classical particle meaning 'here' or 'how' and has nothing to do with cooking. Visually, 烹 has 亨 on top, 焉 has a unique shape with a bird-like component, and 煎 always has 前 on top.

You will see 煎 most often in food words like 煎蛋 (jiān dàn, fried egg) and 煎饼 (jiān bǐng, pancake). It is also used in traditional Chinese medicine for 煎药 (jiān yào, to decoct herbal medicine), which involves simmering herbs in water. The character appears on menus, in recipes, and in pharmacy instructions for herbal treatments.

Common words containing 煎 include: 煎蛋 (jiān dàn) — fried egg; 煎饼 (jiān bǐng) — pancake; 煎药 (jiān yào) — to decoct herbal medicine.