Chinese Conversation · Level 33
90 words
Chinese word
炖
Pronunciation
Pinyindùn
Meaning
- verbstew
Example
我在炖排骨，等会儿就好。wǒ zài dùn pái gǔ děng huìr jiù hǎo
I'm stewing spare ribs; they'll be ready soon.
More examples
妈妈在小火上炖汤，家里很香。mā mā zài xiáo huǒ shàng dùn tāng jiā lǐ hěn xiāng
Mom is simmering soup over low heat, and the whole house smells wonderful.
Core concept
Food rests in gentle heat long enough for tough pieces to soften and their flavor to spread through the cooking liquid.
Common phrases
炖鸡dùn jī
stew chicken
慢炖牛肉màn dùn niú ròu
slow-stew beef
小火炖汤xiáo huǒ dùn tāng
simmer soup over low heat
Similar words
煮zhǔ: Heat ingredients in water or broth until they are fully cooked.
熬áo: Keep ingredients cooking for a long time to bring out their flavor or create a rich, thick liquid.
焖mèn: Slow-cook food in a covered pot with little liquid, using steam and the liquid to add flavor.
Definition in Chinese
以文火或小火将食材长时间烹煮至软烂入味，常用于肉类、排骨或需要熬汤的菜肴。yǐ wén huǒ huò xiáo huǒ jiāng shí cái cháng shí jiān pēng zhǔ zhì ruǎn làn rù wèi cháng yòng yú ròu lèi pái gǔ huò xū yào áo tāng de cài yáo
Word origin
炖 (dùn, "slow-cook") is the simplified form of 燉 (dùn, "slow-cook"), whose fire radical points to cooking while the other component mainly signals the pronunciation.
Usage tips
- In everyday meal talk, recognizing this verb before a soup or meat noun quickly identifies the dish's preparation method, even when the full recipe is unfamiliar.