窑 (yáo) is a Chinese character meaning “kiln”. It is written from 穴 (cave; hole) and 缶 (earthenware vessel), one above the other, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “kiln”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
穴 + 缶
Top–bottom structure
Structure from: makemeahanzi decomposition ⿱穴缶 + cjkvi-ids U+7A91 ⿱穴缶; verified against hanzi-writer-data strokes (穴 0–4, 缶 5–10)
Memory aid
A cave-like chamber (穴) with clay pots (缶) inside, baking in the heat — that is a kiln.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 窑洞yáo dòngcave dwelling (dug into a loess hillside)窑 = yáo
- 砖窑zhuān yáobrick kiln窑 = yáo
Go deeper
All readings
kiln
kiln; oven for firing pottery, bricks or charcoal; (coal) pit; cave dwelling
烧制砖瓦、陶瓷等的建筑物；也指土法开采的煤矿和在土坡上挖的住人洞（窑洞）。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 窑洞yáo dòngcave dwelling (dug into a loess hillside)窑 = yáo
- 砖窑zhuān yáobrick kiln窑 = yáo
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 窑 mean?
窑 (yáo) means kiln; oven for firing pottery, bricks or charcoal; (coal) pit; cave dwelling.
How do you pronounce 窑?
It is pronounced yáo.
What parts is 窑 made of?
穴 (cave; hole) and 缶 (earthenware vessel), one above the other. The recorded source is: makemeahanzi decomposition ⿱穴缶 + cjkvi-ids U+7A91 ⿱穴缶; verified against hanzi-writer-data strokes (穴 0–4, 缶 5–10). Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 窑 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 窑?
穴. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 窑?
Common ones are 窑洞 and 砖窑. The reading of 窑 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.