Chinese Conversation · Level 18
90 words
Chinese word
煎
Pronunciation
Pinyinjiān
Meaning
- verbfry
Example
妈妈把鱼煎得很香。mā mā bǎ yú jiān de hěn xiāng
Mom fried the fish until it smelled really good.
More examples
他把中药煎好，饭前服用。tā bǎ zhōng yào jiān hǎo fàn qián fú yòng
He decocted the Chinese herbal medicine and took it before meals.
Core concept
Controlled heat brings out flavor from food or medicinal essence from ingredients, either by browning a surface in a little oil or by drawing the essence into water.
Common phrases
煎药jiān yào
decoct medicine
煎中药jiān zhōng yào
decoct Chinese herbal medicine
Similar words
炒chǎo: Stir food as it cooks quickly in a little oil in a pan.
炸zhà: Deep-fry food in hot oil so that its outside turns crisp.
烤kǎo: Roast or bake food with dry heat from an open fire or an oven.
煮zhǔ: Boil food in water or stock until it is cooked through.
Definition in Chinese
用少量油在锅中加热食物，使表面产生金黄色或焦香；也可指用水加热中药以提取有效成分。yòng shǎo liàng yóu zài guō zhōng jiā rè shí wù shǐ biǎo miàn chǎn shēng jīn huáng sè huò jiāo xiāng yě kě zhǐ yòng shuǐ jiā rè zhōng yào yǐ tí qǔ yǒu xiào chéng fèn
Word origin
煎 (jiān, "to fry or brew") is formed from 灬 (huǒ, "fire") + 前 (qián, "front"), with the first marking heating and the second providing the sound.
Usage tips
- The object usually reveals the sense: fish, eggs, and pancakes indicate pan cooking, while medicinal ingredients indicate a water-based preparation.