How to Write 煨 (wēi) — Meaning “to simmer; to stew over a slow fire”

Imagine a small fire (火) that is so gentle it doesn't scare (畏) anyone — this slow, non-threatening flame is perfect for simmering soup. The phrase "a fire that won't scare you" helps you recall both the radical and the right side 畏.

Pay attention to the right side 畏: it starts with a 田 (field) shape, then a vertical stroke, and finally a hook and two dots. A common mistake is to mix up the order of strokes inside 畏, so practice writing the right component slowly and carefully.

While 煨, 烯, and 烷 all share the fire radical 火, 煨 (wēi) is about cooking slowly, whereas 烯 (xī) and 烷 (wán) are chemical characters used in words like 乙烯 (ethylene) and 甲烷 (methane). Visually, the right sides are different: 煨 uses 畏, 烯 uses 希, and 烷 uses 完.

You mainly see 煨 in cooking contexts, like 煨汤 (to simmer soup) or 煨肉 (to stew meat), especially in recipes for traditional Chinese dishes. It is less common in daily conversation but appears in cookbooks and food descriptions, often highlighting a gentle, long cooking process that brings out deep flavors.

Common words containing 煨 include: 煨汤 (wēi tāng) — to simmer soup; 煨肉 (wēi ròu) — to stew meat; 煨熟 (wēi shú) — to cook thoroughly by simmering.