炊烟 chuīyān smoke from kitchen chimneys
How to remember 炊烟: 炊 meal + 烟 smoke = smoke from kitchen chimneys.
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How it is used
- 'Smoke from kitchen chimneys' - 炊烟袅袅 (chuīyān niǎoniǎo) wisps of cooking smoke curling up.
- Evocative of village life and mealtime; a stock image in poetry and nostalgia.
- 炊 = cooking; 袅袅炊烟 signals a settled, homey scene.