adjective / verb HSK 3
cooked · ripe · familiar · skilled
Meaning
熟 is a versatile character describing things that are 'done' or 'ready'—whether food that's cooked, fruit that's ripe, or skills and relationships that have developed through time and practice. It conveys completion, maturity, and thoroughness.
Usage
When describing food, 熟 means 'cooked' or 'done' (opposite of 生 'raw'). With people, it means 'familiar' or 'close' (熟人 = acquaintance). With skills, it means 'proficient' or 'practiced' (熟练 = skilled). Sometimes pronounced shóu in certain compounds related to ripeness.
Examples
- 01这个西瓜熟了吗？?Is this watermelon ripe?
- 02我们很熟，认识十多年了。, .We're quite close; we've known each other for over ten years.
Common collocations
- 熟人acquaintance, someone familiar
- 熟睡to sleep soundly
- 熟能生巧practice makes perfect
- 煮熟to cook until done
Antonyms
Origin
The character combines 孰 (which one, who) as a phonetic element with 灬 (fire radical at bottom), suggesting the process of cooking over fire until something is thoroughly done.