Chinese Hotpot Vocabulary Scene
Explore common Chinese words used when eating hotpot with friends or family.
The Real Hotpot
Hotpot is a popular social meal in China. People cook meat, vegetables, and tofu in shared broth, then dip them in personalized sauces while chatting around the table.
Chinese Hotpot Vocabulary
9 essential Chinese words you’ll use at a hotpot — with pinyin, English meaning, and an example sentence.
- 红汤hóngtāngSpicy broth
我喜欢红汤。 · Wǒ xǐhuān hóngtāng.I like the spicy broth.
- 清汤qīngtāngClear broth
清汤比较清淡。 · Qīngtāng bǐjiào qīngdàn.The clear broth is mild.
- 羊肉片yángròupiànLamb slices
新鲜的羊肉片用来涮火锅。 · Xīnxiān de yángròupiàn yònglái shuàn huǒguō.Fresh lamb slices for hot pot.
- 牛肉片niúròupiànBeef slices
薄牛肉片煮得很快。 · Báo niúròupiàn zhǔ de hěn kuài.Thin beef slices cook quickly.
- 豆腐dòufuTofu
往锅里加一些豆腐。 · Wǎng guō lǐ jiā yī xiē dòufu.Add some tofu to the pot.
- 蔬菜shūcàiVegetables
新鲜蔬菜摆在桌上。 · Xīnxiān shūcài bǎizài zhuō shàng.Fresh vegetables are on the table.
- 蘸料zhànliàoDipping sauce
选择你的蘸料。 · Xuǎnzé nǐ de zhànliào.Choose your dipping sauce.
- 汽水qìshuǐPop
汽水配火锅很好。 · Qìshuǐ pèi huǒguō hěn hǎo.Pop goes well with hot pot.
- 纸巾zhǐjīnNapkin
桌上有纸巾。 · Zhuō shàng yǒu zhǐjīn.There are napkins on the table.
Read Chinese like English with SoundSpell
Tone-aware respellings turn pinyin into something you can sound out at a glance — perfect for learners still finding their feet with zh-, q-, and x-.
Did You Know?
View all storiesThe red comes from beef tallow, dried chilies, and Sichuan peppercorns. Once you know what's in it, you know exactly what you're signing up for.
Clear broth isn't a mild compromise. It's a different cuisine entirely — built around mushrooms, jujubes, goji, and slow-extracted bone broth that takes hours to make right.
Half the personality of a Chinese hot pot meal isn't in the broth — it's in the bowl of dipping sauce you build yourself before the food arrives.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What Chinese words do you need at a hotpot?
- This hotpot vocabulary list covers 9 essential Chinese words, including Spicy broth, Clear broth, Lamb slices, Beef slices, Tofu. Each word comes with pinyin and an example sentence so you can use it in context.
- How do you say common hotpot phrases in Chinese?
- Useful hotpot vocabulary includes 红汤 (hóngtāng) – Spicy broth; 清汤 (qīngtāng) – Clear broth; 羊肉片 (yángròupiàn) – Lamb slices, and more in the full list above — each with pinyin and an example sentence.
- Is this Chinese hotpot vocabulary good for beginners?
- Yes. These are everyday, beginner-friendly words. In the LingoTouch app each one includes native audio and pinyin, so you can learn the pronunciation as well as the meaning.
- How can I practice these Chinese hotpot words?
- In LingoTouch you learn hotpot vocabulary by tapping real objects in the scene, then practice with listening and speaking exercises — turning this word list into words you can actually use.
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