kǎo: 烤 - Roast, Bake, Barbecue, Toast

Keywords: kǎo, 烤, Chinese cooking, roast, bake, barbecue in China, Chinese BBQ, 烤鸭 (kǎo yā), 烤肉 (kǎo ròu), how to say bake in Chinese, how to say roast in Chinese, what does kao mean in Chinese, HSK 3 vocabulary.

Summary: Learn the versatile Chinese verb 烤 (kǎo), which means to roast, bake, barbecue, or toast. This comprehensive guide explores its use in famous dishes like Peking Duck (烤鸭), its central role in modern Chinese social gatherings like BBQ (烤肉), and its application in everyday home cooking. Discover cultural context, practical example sentences, and common related terms to master this essential HSK 3 vocabulary word.

Pinyin (with tone marks): kǎo

Part of Speech: Verb

HSK Level: HSK 3

Concise Definition: To cook with dry heat, as in roasting, baking, barbecuing, or toasting.

In a Nutshell: 烤 (kǎo) is the go-to Chinese word for any cooking method that uses dry heat without significant oil or water. Think of the intense heat of an oven, a grill, or an open fire. It's the action behind world-famous dishes like Peking Duck (烤鸭) and the fun of a weekend barbecue (烤肉) with friends. It's a simple, essential character with a broad, delicious meaning.

The character 烤 (kǎo) is a phono-semantic compound, meaning it's made of two parts that give clues to its sound and meaning.

火 (huǒ): The radical at the bottom means “fire.” This immediately tells you the character is related to heat, fire, or cooking.

考 (kǎo): The component on top means “to test” or “to examine” and, crucially, provides the pronunciation for the entire character.

Combined Meaning: You can create a simple story to remember it: you use fire (火) to “test” (考) if the food is cooked through. This “fire-test” is the essence of roasting or baking.

In Chinese culture, 烤 (kǎo) is more than just a cooking method; it's a social event. While China is famous for stir-frying (炒, chǎo), the act of 烤 brings people together in a special way.

Social Bonding: The modern concept of 烧烤 (shāokǎo) or 烤肉 (kǎo ròu) is a hugely popular social activity, especially among younger generations. Groups of friends will gather at a restaurant with a grill built into the table, or flock to street-side vendors for 烤串 (kǎo chuàn, grilled skewers), and spend hours talking, eating, and drinking. It's a loud, communal, and celebratory experience.

Comparison to Western BBQ: A Chinese BBQ (烤肉) is similar to an American backyard barbecue in that it's a social food event. However, the context is often different. While American BBQs are typically hosted at private homes, Chinese 烤肉 is very frequently a commercial affair—you go out for it. The style of cooking is also different, focusing on small, quickly-grilled pieces of meat and vegetables on skewers (串) rather than large cuts of meat slow-cooked for hours.

A Symbol of Prestige: On the formal end of the spectrum, 北京烤鸭 (Běijīng kǎoyā), or Peking Duck, is a national treasure. It's not just a meal; it's a culinary art form and a dish often served at state banquets to honor foreign dignitaries. The perfect, crispy-skinned roast duck represents a pinnacle of Chinese cuisine.

Street Food (小吃 xiǎochī): You'll find 烤 (kǎo) everywhere on the streets of China. The most famous example is 烤羊肉串 (kǎo yángròu chuàn), or grilled lamb skewers, especially popular in the north and associated with Xinjiang regional cuisine. You'll also find things like 烤红薯 (kǎo hóngshǔ, roasted sweet potatoes), a common winter snack.

Restaurant Dining: Going out for Korean or Chinese BBQ (烤肉) is a very common way to celebrate or just hang out with friends. Everyone gathers around the grill and participates in the cooking.

Home Cooking: With the increasing popularity of Western-style ovens (烤箱 kǎoxiāng) in Chinese homes, 烤 (kǎo) is also used for baking. People will 烤面包 (kǎo miànbāo), bake bread, or 烤蛋糕 (kǎo dàngāo), bake cakes.

Figurative Use: The sun can also “roast” you. On a very hot day, you might exclaim that the sun is roasting you, using the verb 烤.

烤鸭 (kǎo yā) - Peking Duck, the most famous dish made with 烤.

烤肉 (kǎo ròu) - Barbecue/grilled meat. Often refers to the social activity itself.

烧烤 (shāo kǎo) - BBQ. A slightly broader term than 烤肉, often used as a noun for the style of food or the event.

烤箱 (kǎo xiāng) - Oven. The “roast box” used for baking and roasting.

串 (chuàn) - Skewer; a measure word for items on a stick. Often seen in 烤串 (kǎo chuàn).

火 (huǒ) - Fire. The radical of 烤 and the essential element for this cooking method.

熟 (shú) - Cooked, well-done, ripe. The desired result of 烤.

炒 (chǎo) - To stir-fry. A contrasting cooking method involving a wok and oil.

煎 (jiān) - To pan-fry. A contrasting cooking method involving a pan and a small amount of oil.

炸 (zhá) - To deep-fry. A contrasting cooking method involving a large amount of hot oil.