汤锅 (tāng guō) literally combines 汤 (tāng), meaning 'soup' or 'broth', and 锅 (guō), meaning 'pot' or 'cooking vessel'. Together, it refers specifically to a pot designed for making soups, stews, or boiling liquids — typically deeper and narrower than a wok, often with handles and a lid. It’s a common kitchen tool in Chinese households and restaurants, used for simmering bone broths, vegetable soups, or hotpot bases.

This word emphasizes function over form: while many pots can hold soup, a 汤锅 implies suitability for long, gentle cooking — such as extracting flavor from bones or herbs. It’s not used for frying or stir-frying; those require different vessels like 炒锅 (chǎo guō). The term appears frequently in cooking instructions, kitchenware shopping, and home-cooking conversations, especially when discussing traditional or health-conscious meals like nourishing chicken soup.