How to Write 蒸 (zhēng) — Meaning “To steam”

Imagine a steamer basket made of grass (艹) placed over a pot of boiling water with fire (灬) underneath. The steam rises up, and the whole scene spells 蒸.

Write the grass radical 艹 first, making it wide enough to cover the rest. The middle part 丞 must have a proper hook stroke, and the bottom four fire dots (灬) should be evenly spaced—do not make them too close or too far apart.

蒸 has the distinct bottom part 灬 (fire dots) and the sound component 丞, while 莿 has 次 (with 冫 and 欠) and means "thorn," and 菀 has 宛 (with 宀 and 夕) meaning "luxuriant." Visually, look for the four dots at the bottom of 蒸.

蒸 means "to steam" and is very common in Chinese cooking, especially for healthy dishes like 蒸鱼 (steamed fish), 蒸饺 (steamed dumplings), and 蒸包子 (steamed buns). Steaming is a traditional method that preserves natural flavors and is widely used in everyday meals and restaurants.

Common words containing 蒸 include: 蒸鱼 (zhēng yú) — Steamed fish; 蒸饺 (zhēng jiǎo) — Steamed dumplings; 蒸包子 (zhēng bāo zi) — To steam buns.