chúfáng: 厨房 - Kitchen
Quick Summary
Keywords: chufang, 厨房, Chinese kitchen, how to say kitchen in Chinese, kitchen vocabulary Chinese, Chinese cooking, Chinese home, Chinese food culture, HSK 1 vocabulary.
Summary: Learn the essential Chinese word for “kitchen,” 厨房 (chúfáng). This guide goes beyond a simple definition to explore the cultural heart of the Chinese home. Discover the character breakdown, practical example sentences, and the unique role the `chúfáng` plays in family life and food culture, a must-know term for any beginner learner.
Core Meaning
Pinyin (with tone marks): chúfáng
Part of Speech: Noun
HSK Level: HSK 1
Concise Definition: A room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.
In a Nutshell: 厨房 (chúfáng) is the direct equivalent of the English word “kitchen.” However, it evokes more than just a physical space. In Chinese culture, where food is central (民以食为天 - “the people regard food as heaven”), the `chúfáng` is the bustling, aromatic source of family nourishment, togetherness, and tradition. It's the engine room of the home.
Character Breakdown
厨 (chú): This character relates to cooking and culinary affairs. Think of it as the “cooking” element. It originally depicted a special kind of cabinet for storing food. For learners, it's best to simply associate 厨 with all things related to the kitchen and chefs.
房 (fáng): This character means “room” or “house.” You can see the radical for door (户) at the top, indicating a building or an enclosed space. It's a very common character found in words like `房间 (fángjiān)` - room, and `房子 (fángzi)` - house.
When combined, 厨房 (chúfáng) literally means “cook room,” a very logical and easy-to-remember construction.
Cultural Context and Significance
The 厨房 (chúfáng) is arguably one of the most important rooms in a traditional Chinese home, deeply tied to concepts of health, family, and prosperity.
The Heart of the Home: While a Western home might center around the living room, the Chinese home often revolves around the kitchen and the dining table. The act of preparing and sharing food is a primary way of showing love and care. The `chúfáng` is where this care originates.
The Domain of “Stir-fry” (炒菜 - chǎocài): Traditional Chinese kitchens were designed around the wok and high-heat cooking, leading to a focus on function over aesthetics. They were often smaller, separate rooms to contain the `油烟 (yóuyān)`—the oily smoke—a major consideration that distinguishes them from the modern Western “open-concept” kitchen. While open kitchens (`开放式厨房 - kāifàngshì chúfáng`) are now popular in modern Chinese apartments, the challenge of containing cooking fumes remains.
The Kitchen God (灶神 - Zàoshén): In Chinese folk religion, the Kitchen God is a deity who resides in the `chúfáng` and watches over the family's conduct throughout the year. Before Chinese New Year, he is said to ascend to heaven to report on the family to the Jade Emperor. Families would traditionally offer him sweet, sticky treats to ensure he only gives a “sweet” report. This belief underscores the kitchen's spiritual importance as the moral and physical center of the family.
Practical Usage in Modern China
厨房 (chúfáng) is a high-frequency, everyday word used in all contexts, from casual conversation to real estate listings. Its usage is straightforward and neutral.
In Daily Conversation: People use it to describe where they are, what they are doing, or to describe their home. For example, “我在厨房里” (I'm in the kitchen) or “我们家的厨房很小” (Our kitchen is very small).
In Design and Real Estate: You will often hear about different styles of kitchens.
`开放式厨房 (kāifàngshì chúfáng)`: Open-plan kitchen, a modern style gaining popularity.
`中式厨房 (zhōngshì chúfáng)`: Chinese-style kitchen, typically enclosed and equipped for high-fume cooking.
`西式厨房 (xīshì chúfáng)`: Western-style kitchen, often with an oven, island, and open layout.
Example Sentences
Example 1:
妈妈正在厨房里做饭。
Pinyin: Māma zhèngzài chúfáng lǐ zuòfàn.
English: Mom is cooking in the kitchen.
Analysis: A simple, common sentence describing an action happening in the kitchen. `正在 (zhèngzài)` indicates the progressive tense (-ing).
Example 2:
我家的厨房虽然很小，但是很干净。
Pinyin: Wǒ jiā de chúfáng suīrán hěn xiǎo, dànshì hěn gānjìng.
English: Although our kitchen is small, it's very clean.
Analysis: This sentence uses the `虽然…但是… (suīrán…dànshì…)` structure, meaning “although…but…”.
Example 3:
你能去厨房帮我拿一双筷子吗？
Pinyin: Nǐ néng qù chúfáng bāng wǒ ná yī shuāng kuàizi ma?
English: Can you go to the kitchen and get a pair of chopsticks for me?
Analysis: A practical request. `帮我 (bāng wǒ)` means “help me” or, in this context, “for me.”
Example 4:
这家餐厅的厨房是开放式的。
Pinyin: Zhè jiā cāntīng de chúfáng shì kāifàngshì de.
English: This restaurant's kitchen is open-plan.
Analysis: Shows the use of `开放式 (kāifàngshì)` to describe a modern kitchen style.
Example 5:
我闻到了从厨房传来的香味。
Pinyin: Wǒ wén dàole cóng chúfáng chuánlái de xiāngwèi.
English: I smell the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen.
Analysis: `从 (cóng)` means “from,” indicating the origin of the smell. `传来 (chuánlái)` means “to waft over” or “to be transmitted.”
Example 6:
新房子需要装修一下厨房和卫生间。
Pinyin: Xīn fángzi xūyào zhuāngxiū yīxià chúfáng hé wèishēngjiān.
English: The new house needs to have its kitchen and bathroom renovated.
Analysis: A common topic when discussing property. `装修 (zhuāngxiū)` means “to renovate” or “to decorate.”
Example 7:
吃完饭后，请把碗筷放到厨房的水槽里。
Pinyin: Chī wán fàn hòu, qǐng bǎ wǎnkuài fàngdào chúfáng de shuǐcáo lǐ.
English: After you finish eating, please put the bowls and chopsticks in the kitchen sink.
Analysis: Uses the `把 (bǎ)` structure to show the disposal of an object. A very useful sentence for household instructions.
Example 8:
我不喜欢厨房里油烟的味道。
Pinyin: Wǒ bù xǐhuān chúfáng lǐ yóuyān de wèidào.
English: I don't like the smell of cooking fumes in the kitchen.
Analysis: Highlights the concept of `油烟 (yóuyān)`, a key concern in Chinese cooking.
Example 9:
他们的厨房里有很多现代化的炊具。
Pinyin: Tāmen de chúfáng lǐ yǒu hěn duō xiàndàihuà de chuījù.
English: Their kitchen has a lot of modern cooking utensils.
Analysis: `现代化 (xiàndàihuà)` means “modernized.” `炊具 (chuījù)` is a formal word for cooking utensils.
Example 10:
按照传统，灶神住在每家的厨房里。
Pinyin: Ànzhào chuántǒng, Zàoshén zhù zài měi jiā de chúfáng lǐ.
English: According to tradition, the Kitchen God lives in every family's kitchen.
Analysis: A sentence that directly references the cultural significance discussed earlier.
Nuances and Common Mistakes
The word 厨房 (chúfáng) itself is quite straightforward, but learners often make mistakes with related concepts.
Mistake: Confusing the place with the person. The character `厨 (chú)` is related to cooking, but 厨房 (chúfáng) is *only* the room. The person who cooks is a 厨师 (chúshī).
Nuance: The word for “to cook” is not directly derived from `厨房` in everyday speech. While you are `在厨房` (in the kitchen), the action you are doing is `做饭 (zuòfàn)` (literally “make rice/meal”) or `烧菜 (shāocài)` (“heat up dishes”).
Awkward: 我去厨房一下。 (Wǒ qù chúfáng yīxià.) - This can mean “I'm going to do some cooking,” but it literally means “I'm going to kitchen for a moment.”
More Natural: 我去做饭。 (Wǒ qù zuòfàn.) - I'm going to cook.
厨师 (chúshī) - Cook or chef. The person who works in the `厨房`.
餐厅 (cāntīng) - Dining room or restaurant. The place where you eat the food prepared in the `厨房`.
做饭 (zuòfàn) - To cook. The primary activity that takes place in a `厨房`.
客厅 (kètīng) - Living room. A contrasting room in the house, often located next to the `厨房` or `餐厅`.
冰箱 (bīngxiāng) - Refrigerator. A key appliance found in every modern `厨房`.
灶台 (zàotái) - Stove, stovetop. The specific cooking surface within a `厨房`.
油烟 (yóuyān) - Oily smoke/fumes from cooking. A major consideration in Chinese `厨房` design and ventilation.
菜 (cài) - Dish (of food); cuisine. The delicious result of work done in the `厨房`.
炊具 (chuījù) - Cooking utensils/cookware. A formal term for the pots, pans, and tools used in the `厨房`.