FEATURE
Hotpot in Chinese
How to Say Hotpot in Chinese
Hotpot is 火锅 (huǒguō) in Mandarin Chinese. 火 means “fire,” while 锅 means “pot.” Diners cook meat, vegetables, tofu, noodles, and other ingredients in a simmering pot of broth at the table.
Hotpot is usually a social meal. Everyone selects ingredients, cooks them in the shared broth, and eats them with a personal dipping sauce.
Common Types of Hotpot
- 麻辣火锅 (málà huǒguō) — numbing and spicy hotpot
- 四川火锅 (Sìchuān huǒguō) — Sichuan hotpot
- 重庆火锅 (Chóngqìng huǒguō) — Chongqing hotpot
- 涮羊肉 (shuàn yángròu) — thinly sliced mutton cooked in hotpot
- 潮汕牛肉火锅 (Cháoshàn niúròu huǒguō) — Chaoshan beef hotpot
- 番茄锅 (fānqié guō) — tomato-broth hotpot
- 菌汤锅 (jùntāng guō) — mushroom-broth hotpot
Choosing a Broth
The broth is called 锅底 (guōdǐ). If the group wants two flavors, ask for a divided pot.
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 鸳鸯锅 | yuānyāng guō | A divided pot, commonly with spicy and mild broths |
| 清汤 | qīngtāng | Clear, mild broth |
| 麻辣 | málà | Numbing and spicy |
| 微辣 | wēilà | Mildly spicy |
| 中辣 | zhōnglà | Medium spicy |
| 特辣 | tèlà | Extra spicy |
Popular Ingredients
- 牛肉 (niúròu) — beef
- 羊肉 (yángròu) — lamb or mutton
- 猪肉 (zhūròu) — pork
- 鱼 (yú) — fish
- 虾 (xiā) — shrimp
- 豆腐 (dòufu) — tofu
- 豆皮 (dòupí) — tofu skin
- 蘑菇 (mógu) — mushrooms
- 青菜 (qīngcài) — leafy green vegetables
- 土豆 (tǔdòu) — potato
- 面条 (miàntiáo) — noodles
Useful Hotpot Phrases
| Chinese | Pinyin | English |
|---|---|---|
| 我们想吃火锅。 | Wǒmen xiǎng chī huǒguō. | We would like to eat hotpot. |
| 请给我们一个鸳鸯锅。 | Qǐng gěi wǒmen yí ge yuānyāng guō. | Please give us a divided pot. |
| 不要太辣。 | Bú yào tài là. | Not too spicy, please. |
| 这个辣吗？ | Zhège là ma? | Is this spicy? |
| 这个要煮多久？ | Zhège yào zhǔ duōjiǔ? | How long should this cook? |
| 可以加汤吗？ | Kěyǐ jiā tāng ma? | Could you add more broth? |
| 请再来一盘牛肉。 | Qǐng zài lái yì pán niúròu. | Another plate of beef, please. |
| 买单，谢谢。 | Mǎidān, xièxie. | The bill, please. |
Dipping Sauce Vocabulary
A dipping sauce is called 蘸料 (zhànliào). Common sauce-bar ingredients include:
- 芝麻酱 (zhīmajiàng) — sesame paste
- 香油 (xiāngyóu) — sesame oil
- 酱油 (jiàngyóu) — soy sauce
- 醋 (cù) — vinegar
- 蒜 (suàn) — garlic
- 香菜 (xiāngcài) — cilantro
- 葱 (cōng) — scallion
- 辣椒 (làjiāo) — chili
Eating Hotpot
- Choose the broth and spice level.
- Order raw ingredients to share.
- Add ingredients gradually so the broth continues simmering.
- Cook each item thoroughly; cooking times differ by ingredient and thickness.
- Remove cooked food with chopsticks or a ladle and eat it with dipping sauce.
- Keep raw meat utensils separate from utensils used for eating.
A useful invitation is 我们一起去吃火锅吧！ (Wǒmen yìqǐ qù chī huǒguō ba!): “Let’s go eat hotpot together!”