| 熬出头 | [ aó chū toú  ]    to break clear of all the troubles and hardships, to achieve success, to make it | 
| 熬药 | [ aó yaò  ]    to decoct medicinal herbs | 
| 熬头儿 | [ aó tou  ]    (coll.) the reward of one's efforts, the light at the end of the tunnel | 
| ⇒ 多年媳妇熬成婆 | [ duō nián xí fù aó chéng pó  ]    see 媳婦熬成婆|媳妇熬成婆[xi2 fu4 ao4 cheng2 po2] | 
| ⇒ 媳妇熬成婆 | [ xí fù aó chéng pó  ]    lit. even a submissive daughter-in-law will one day become a domineering mother-in-law (idiom), fig. the oppressed will become the oppressor, what goes around comes around | 
| ⇒ 难熬 | [ nán aó  ]    hard to bear, unendurable (pain, suffering) |