电饭锅

• Pinyin: diàn fàn guō
• Hanzi breakdown: 电 (electric) + 饭 = 饣(food) + 反 (phonetic); 锅 = 钅(metal) + 咼 (phonetic)

Meaning

Rice cooker; electric rice cooker. An electrical appliance used to cook rice.

A staple kitchen appliance in Chinese households. Modern versions often have multiple functions including cooking porridge, steaming, and slow cooking. Also called 电饭煲.

Examples

1. 按下电饭锅的开关，米饭大约半小时就能煮好。 Press the rice cooker switch and the rice will be ready in about half an hour.
2. 这款新电饭锅功能很多，还能做蛋糕。 This new rice cooker has many functions and can even make cake.
3. 妈妈在电饭锅里煮了一锅香喷喷的米饭。 Mom cooked a pot of fragrant rice in the rice cooker.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, household, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 电饭锅里有饭。(There's rice in the rice cooker.)
• 用电饭锅煮粥。(Use the rice cooker to make porridge.)

Don't Say

• '电饭锅'特指煮米饭的电器——炒菜或煎东西用'电磁炉'或'平底锅'，不用电饭锅 (电饭锅 specifically refers to a rice cooking appliance — for stir-frying or pan-frying, use 电磁炉 or 平底锅)

Origin & History

Compound of 电 (electric) + 饭 (cooked rice) + 锅 (pot), describing an electric pot for cooking rice.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal