Chinese word

煲

Pronunciation

Pinyinbāo

Meaning

  • verbsimmer

Example

他晚上用砂锅煲汤。tā wǎn shàng yòng shā guō bāo tāng

He simmers soup in a clay pot at night.

Illustration for 煲 (simmer)

More examples

妈妈用小火煲汤，味道很鲜。mā mā yòng xiáo huǒ bāo tāng wèi dào hěn xiān

Mom simmers soup over low heat, and it tastes delicious.

Core concept

A pot holds food and liquid at gentle heat until flavor moves into the liquid and the mixture grows richer.

Common phrases

  • 小火煲汤xiáo huǒ bāo tāng

    simmer soup over low heat

  • 煲粥bāo zhōu

    simmer porridge

  • 砂锅煲汤shā guō bāo tāng

    simmer soup in a clay pot

Similar words

炖dùn: Stew meat or vegetables over low heat until they become soft.
熬áo: Boil liquid slowly for a long time to concentrate its flavor.
煮zhǔ: Heat food in water or another liquid until it is cooked.
烧shāo: Cook food with direct heat or a strong flame.

Definition in Chinese

在锅中以慢火或文火长时间烹煮，使汤汁变浓、食材入味。zài guō zhōng yǐ màn huǒ huò wén huǒ cháng shí jiān pēng zhǔ shǐ tāng zhī biàn nóng shí cái rù wèi

Word origin

煲 (bāo, "slow-cook") is formed from 保 (bǎo, "protect") + 火 (huǒ, "fire"), with 保 indicating the pronunciation and 火 indicating heat.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this verb commonly comes directly before the name of the food or drink being prepared, so the following noun quickly reveals the cooking context.

Other meanings

  • boilverb

Opposites

Related words

  • 煲汤bāo tāngsimmer soupverb
  • 煲粥bāo zhōusimmer porridgeverb
  • 煲电话粥bāo diàn huà zhōutalk on the phone for a long timeverb

Word lists with this word