蒸
zhēng
to evaporate
(of cooking) to steam; torch made from hemp stalks or bamboo (old); finely chopped firewood (old)
plants (艹) + rising steam (烝) = to steam
烝 originally meant rising steam or vapor, and 艹 here evokes the plant-based materials — hemp stalks or bamboo — once used as torches or fuel. Together they capture the ancient image of heat rising through vegetation, which generalized into the modern sense of steaming.
妈妈在厨房蒸包子。
māma zài chúfáng zhēng bāozi。
Mom is steaming buns in the kitchen.
太阳很大，地上的水慢慢蒸发了。
tàiyáng hěn dà，dì shang de shuǐ màn màn zhēngfā le。
The sun is strong, and the water on the ground slowly evaporated.
Words with 蒸
不蒸馒头争口气
bù zhēng mán tou zhēng kǒu qì
not to be crushed (idiom)
人间蒸发
rén jiān zhēng fā
to vanish
水蒸气
shuǐ zhēng qì
vapor
清蒸
qīng zhēng
steamed in broth
熏蒸
xūn zhēng
(of sultry weather) to be stifling
熏蒸剂
xūn zhēng jì
fumigant
茶碗蒸
chá wǎn zhēng
chawanmushi, Japanese savory egg custard dish that is steamed and served in a small bowl
蒸散
zhēng sàn
(plant) evapotranspiration
蒸气
zhēng qì
vapor
蒸气重整
zhēng qì chóng zhěng
steam reforming (chemistry)
蒸汽
zhēng qì
steam
蒸汽压路机
zhēng qì yā lù jī
steamroller