焦

• Pinyin: jiāo
• Hanzi breakdown: 焦 = 隹 (bird) + 灬 (fire) — a bird being roasted, burnt

Meaning

Burnt; charred; anxious. Describes something overcooked to the point of burning, or a state of extreme worry.

In cooking contexts, means burnt or scorched. When describing emotions, indicates intense anxiety or worry, often appearing in compounds like 焦急 (anxious) or 焦虑 (anxious). Can describe physical sensations like a burning sensation or extreme dryness.

Examples

1. 锅里的菜烧焦了，厨房里全是烟。 The food in the pot got burnt and the whole kitchen filled with smoke.
2. 等了两个小时还没见到人，他心里开始发焦。 After waiting two hours without seeing anyone, he started to feel anxious.
3. 这块面包烤焦了，边缘都发黑了。 This piece of bread got burnt — the edges have turned black.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, emotions, everyday

Tone: negative

Do Say

• 火太大了，肉都烧焦了。(The fire was too high, the meat got burnt.)
• 别着急上火，急得焦头烂额也没用。(Don't get all worked up — worrying yourself sick won't help.)

Don't Say

• 用'焦'描述食物金黄色的状态 (Don't use 焦 for golden-brown food — it means burnt; use 金黄 for nicely browned)

Origin & History

Pictographic character showing something being burnt over fire. The character depicts the result of excessive heat.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal