炊 chuī meal
meal; to cook
How to remember 炊: 火 fire + 欠 to lack = meal. The scouts finally get a fire going, and even lacking a pot, they roast sausages on sticks for their first real meal.
Component breakdown
形声 · Meaning + sound
One part gives the meaning, the other gives the sound.
炊 = 火 fire + 欠 to lack
- 火 fire meaning
- 欠 to lack sound
The scouts finally get a fire going, and even lacking a pot, they roast sausages on sticks for their first real meal.
How it came to be
Fire gives the meaning, and the right side, a shortened sound part, gives the sound; the word means to cook.
How it is used
- To cook (a meal over fire): 炊烟 (chuīyān) the smoke rising from kitchen chimneys, an image of settled home life; 野炊 (yěchuī) to cook outdoors/picnic.
- 巧妇难为无米之炊 (qiǎofù nán wéi wúmǐ-zhī-chuī): even a clever wife can't cook without rice. You can't make something from nothing.