How to Write 饪 (rèn) — Meaning “to cook”

Think of the right part 壬 as a person standing up, and the left 饣 as a bowl of food. Imagine a person (壬) standing next to food (饣) and cooking it. You can also remember 'ren' sounds like 'run' — so you run to the kitchen to cook.

Pay attention to the left radical 饣: its last stroke is a vertical lift (竖提), not a simple hook. The right part 壬 starts with a short stroke (撇), then a horizontal line, a vertical line, and a final horizontal line. Make sure the two parts are balanced — the left is narrower and the right is slightly wider.

饪 means 'to cook' and uses the component 壬 (rén). 饥 means 'hungry' and uses 几 (jǐ) instead, so visually 饥 has a small table-like shape on the right. 饧 is a rare character meaning 'sugar' or 'syrup' and uses a different right component (昜), so it looks quite different. Their meanings and usages are completely separate.

You mostly see 饪 in formal compound words like 烹饪 (cooking/culinary arts), 烹饪课 (cooking class), and 烹饪书 (cookbook). It is rarely used alone; instead, you use the full word 烹饪 when talking about cooking techniques or classes. In Chinese culture, 烹饪 reflects a deep appreciation for food preparation and culinary skills.

Common words containing 饪 include: 烹饪 (pēng rèn) — cooking / culinary arts; 烹饪课 (pēng rèn kè) — cooking class; 烹饪书 (pēng rèn shū) — cookbook.