Chinese word

煮

Pronunciation

Pinyinzhǔ

Meaning

  • verbcook

Example

妈妈在煮饭。mā mā zài zhǔ fàn

Mom is cooking rice.

Illustration for 煮 (cook)

More examples

先把水煮开，再放入面条。xiān bǎ shuí zhǔ kāi zài fàng rù miàn tiáo

First bring the water to a boil, then add the noodles.

Core concept

A pot of food is heated until its texture changes and it is ready to eat.

Common phrases

  • 把水煮开bǎ shuí zhǔ kāi

    bring water to a boil

  • 煮蛋zhǔ dàn

    boil eggs

Similar words

炖dùn: Simmer food over low heat for a long time to soften it and deepen its flavor.
熬áo: Cook liquid or ingredients for a long time to reduce them and strengthen their flavor or contents.
蒸zhēng: Cook food by surrounding it with steam so it slowly becomes fully cooked.

Definition in Chinese

把食材放在锅中用热力处理，使其变熟或变软以便食用。bǎ shí cái fàng zài guō zhōng yòng rè lì chú lǐ shǐ qí biàn shú huò biàn ruǎn yǐ biàn shí yòng

Word origin

煮 (zhǔ, "cook") preserves an old sound-and-meaning design, with 者 (zhě, "person") guiding the pronunciation and the fire element 灬 (huǒ, "fire") linking the character to heated food.

Usage tips

  • The verb itself does not show how long the process lasts, so Mandarin adds time or result information when the contrast between quick cooking and long softening matters.

Other meanings

  • stewverb
  • boilverb

Opposites

  • 生吃shēng chīeat rawverb

Related words

  • 蒸煮zhēng zhǔsteam and boilverb
  • 煮沸zhǔ fèibring to a boilverb

Word lists with this word