How to Write 烤 (kǎo) — Meaning “to bake; to roast; to grill”

Imagine you are roasting meat on a fire while taking a test (考试 kǎoshì). The left side 火 is the fire, and the right side 考 looks like a person with a stick holding food over flames, helping you link "to roast" with the sound kǎo.

When writing 烤, note that the left radical 火 becomes narrower and its last stroke changes from a dot to a short downward stroke (like 灬 but not identical). The right side 考 has a long slanting stroke that should not cross the vertical line—common mistake is making 考 too wide or uneven. Keep the left side compact and the right side balanced.

烤 uses 火 on the left with 考 on the right and means to roast or grill. 炅 (jiǒng) has 火 on top and 日 (sun/day) below, meaning bright or hot sunlight. 炆 (wén) also has 火 on the left but with 文 (writing/culture) on the right, meaning to simmer over a slow fire—so 烤 is for high‑heat cooking, while 炆 is gentle stewing.

烤 is very common for describing cooking methods like 烤肉 (BBQ/grilled meat), 烤鸭 (Peking roast duck), and 烤面包 (toasting bread). Culturally, outdoor barbecue (烤肉) is a popular social activity in China, and Beijing roast duck (北京烤鸭) is an iconic dish often served at special meals or tourist restaurants.

Common words containing 烤 include: 烤肉 (kǎo ròu) — BBQ; roasted meat; grilled meat; 烤鸭 (kǎo yā) — Roast duck; 烤面包 (kǎo miàn bāo) — to toast bread; toasted bread.