HanziGuru.烘 · hōng
烘
hōng[hong1]Tone 1

to bake, to heat by fire, to set off by contrast

HSK 7
Guru Deep Dive

English · to bake, to heat by fire, to set off by contrast

Cached lesson
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Topology:Left-right
Strokes:10
Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (火) should be narrower and slightly higher, while the right component (共) is wider with a balanced horizontal base to ensure stability.
1. Meaning

to bake or dry by fire

to heat by fireto set off or contrast (in painting, literature, or atmosphere)
VerbNeutral#cooking#heat#artistic contrast
Sample Usage
  • 把衣服烘干。
    bǎ yīfú hōng gān.
    Dry the clothes by heat.
  • 这种衬托手法烘托出主角的高大形象。
    zhè zhǒng chèntuō shǒufǎ hōngtuō chū zhǔjiǎo de gāodà xíngxiàng.
    This contrasting technique sets off the towering image of the protagonist.
2. Sound
/[xʊŋ⁵⁵]/Tone: 55
烘
hōnghong1
++
¯(55)
=hōng
Build the syllable
Step-by-step blending
hong
Tone mark placement: Tone mark sits on "o" per main-vowel priority (a > e > o; in -iu/-ui the mark takes the second vowel).
Initial Consonant
h
Type: Velar Fricative
Sounds like: h sound like in 'hot'
Unaspirated
Airflow Tactile Test: Gentle throat friction (like fogging glasses on a cold day).
Tongue & Mouth Position: Glottis is constricted to produce friction, tongue remains flat in the lower mouth.
Final Rhyme
ong
Vowel Group: -o vowel group
Sounds like: -ong rhymes with rung
Mouth Shape Guide: Combine initial 'h-' (h) with final '-ong' (oong).
Common Learner Trap: Keep vowel quality steady across all 4 tone contours.
Tone
T1 (55)
1st Tone (High-Flat)
Tone Pitch & Cadence: Tone 1 is a high, steady pitch (55) similar to a musical note sustained at the top of your speaking range.
👂
Listening trap: Confusing the velar ending '-ong' with the alveolar ending '-on' or dental ending '-en'. Ensure the back of the tongue touches the soft palate for the final '-ng'.
👋
Physical Tone Gesture: A high, flat horizontal hand gesture held steady in the upper vocal range, matching the high level pitch of Tone 1.
3. Writing

Topology: Left-right · Strokes: 10 strokes

Writing Balance Rule: The left radical (火) should be narrower and slightly higher, while the right component (共) is wider with a balanced horizontal base to ensure stability.

4. Components

Radical 火 · Fire Radical (fire, heat, flames)

Semantic Clue (形旁): 火 (Indicates fire, heat, and baking processes.)

Phonetic Clue (声旁): 共 (original sound: gòng)

The fire radical (火) on the left provides the heat source, while the character for together or shared (共) on the right provides the phonetic sound 'hong' and suggests items being heated together.

  • 火 fire
  • 共 together / phonetic clue
5. History
Liushu category: Phono-semantic (形声)

Origin: Combined from the fire sign (火) indicating heat and baking action, and (共) serving as the phonetic indicator giving the approximate pronunciation.

Semantic Evolution: Originally referred strictly to drying or warming clothes/food over a fire. Later extended metaphorically to 'setting off' an atmosphere or contrast in art and literature (烘托).

  • The phonetic component 共 originally depicted two hands holding an object, though in this compound it acts primarily for sound.
6. Sinosphere
🇯🇵
Kanji (Japanese)
On: コウ (kō) / Kun: あぶ.る (aburu)
7. Memory
Vivid Mnemonic Story

You use FIRE (火) TOGETHER (共) to BAKE (烘) marshmallows over a blazing campfire.

Phonetic Family (形声字家族)
共
gòngcommon, together, to sharePhonetic Core (声旁)
哄
hònguproar+ 口 (mouth)
恭
gōngrespectful+ ⺗ (heart)
拱
gǒngto cup hands, to arch+ 扌 (hand)
Explore this family →
Lookalikes & Traps (形近字)
哄(hǒng)
烘 uses 火 (fire) for baking; 哄 uses 口 (mouth) for shouting or tricking.
轰(hōng)
烘 uses 共 for baking heat; 轰 uses 车 (vehicles/rumble) for explosions and roaring noises.
8. Mastery
Active Recall Challenge
我们要用烤箱把面包___熟。
Clue: hōng
Common Learner Pitfall

Confusing the phonetic family members that share 共 (such as 哄, 供, 拱) by using the wrong radical for baking (fire 火 vs mouth 口 vs hand 扌).

Memory Prompts
Recognition: When you see 烘, what does it mean and how is it pronounced?
Production: How do you write the character for 'to bake' (hōng) using a fire radical and a phonetic helper?
Real-World Video Context

Watch authentic native speakers pronounce and explain this word in real-world YouTube videos.

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