Chinese word

秘方

Pronunciation

Pinyinmì fāng

Meaning

  • nounsecret recipe

Example

这是爷爷留下的秘方，我不会做。zhè shì yé yé liú xià de mì fāng wǒ bú huì zuò

This is the secret recipe my grandfather left behind, and I don't know how to make it.

Illustration for 秘方 (secret recipe)

More examples

许多秘方随着时间而失传了。xǔ duō mì fāng suí zhe shí jiān ér shī chuán le

Many secret recipes have been lost over time.

Core concept

A valuable recipe or method whose key ingredients, proportions, or steps remain known only to a limited group.

Common phrases

  • 民间秘方mín jiān mì fāng

    folk secret recipe

  • 失传的秘方shī chuán de mì fāng

    lost secret recipe

Similar words

配方pèi fāng: A set formula giving the ingredients, proportions, and steps for making food or a product.
秘诀mì jué: A person's special know-how for getting good results.
处方chǔ fāng: A doctor's official written order stating which medicine to use and how to take it.
方子fāng zi: A simple home recipe for preparing food or medicine, often passed down through a family.

Definition in Chinese

不向外公开的制作方法或配方，指家族、门派或个人保存并不对外泄露的药方、菜谱或技艺的具体做法。bú xiàng wài gōng kāi de zhì zuò fāng fǎ huò pèi fāng zhǐ jiā zú mén pài huò gè rén bǎo cún bìng bú duì wài xiè lòu de yào fāng cài pǔ huò jì yì de jù tǐ zuò fǎ

Word origin

秘 (mì, "secret") + 方 (fāng, "method or prescription") combines secrecy with a practical formula for making or preparing something.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Chinese, this noun often appears in family or tradition contexts, marking know-how kept within a household or group rather than shared publicly.

Other meanings

  • prescriptionnoun

Opposites

  • 公开配方gōng kāi pèi fāngpublic recipenoun

Word lists with this word