锅

• Pinyin: guō
• Hanzi breakdown: 锅 = 钅(metal) + 呙 (phonetic)

Meaning

Pot; pan; wok. A cooking vessel used for preparing food.

General term for cooking vessels. Specific types include 炒锅 (wok), 汤锅 (soup pot), 火锅 (hot pot). Also used colloquially in 背锅 (to take the blame).

Examples

1. 妈妈买了一口新锅，做饭更方便了。 Mom bought a new pot, making cooking more convenient.
2. 这口锅太小了，装不下这么多菜。 This pot is too small; it can't fit this much food.
3. 火锅是冬天最受欢迎的食物之一。 Hot pot is one of the most popular foods in winter.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, kitchen, food, household

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 帮我拿一下锅。(Help me get the pot.)
• 今晚吃火锅吧！(Let's have hot pot tonight!)

Don't Say

• 锅 alone for 'hot pot meal' (say 火锅 for the dish, 锅 alone is just the vessel)

Origin & History

Phonosemantic compound: 钅/金 (metal radical) + 呙 (phonetic), indicating a metal cooking vessel.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal