Chinese word

调味

Pronunciation

Pinyintiáo wèi

Meaning

  • verbseason

Example

你可以帮我调味这盘菜吗？nǐ ké yǐ bāng wǒ tiáo wèi zhè pán cài ma

Can you help me season this dish?

Illustration for 调味 (season)

More examples

煮面的时候可以用少许酱油调味，味道会更好。zhǔ miàn de shí hòu ké yǐ yòng sháo xǔ jiàng yóu tiáo wèi wèi dào huì gèng hǎo

When cooking noodles, you can use a little soy sauce to season them, and they will taste better.

Core concept

Shape a dish's final flavor through small changes in the strength and mix of its seasonings.

Common phrases

  • 用醋调味yòng cù tiáo wèi

    season with vinegar

  • 按个人口味调味àn gè rén kǒu wèi tiáo wèi

    season to personal taste

  • 加点儿盐调味jiā diǎnr yán tiáo wèi

    season with a little salt

Similar words

加盐jiā yán: Season food with salt.
加酱油jiā jiàng yóu: Season food with soy sauce.
加糖jiā táng: Sweeten food or drinks by adding sugar.
加调料jiā tiáo liào: Flavor food by adding seasonings.

Definition in Chinese

在烹饪或上桌前通过加入调料或微调配比，使菜肴达到预期的风味或口感。zài pēng rèn huò shàng zhuō qián tōng guò jiā rù tiáo liào huò wēi tiáo pèi bǐ shǐ cài yáo dá dào yù qī de fēng wèi huò kóu gǎn

Word origin

调 (tiáo, "adjust") + 味 (wèi, "taste") forms 调味 (tiáowèi, "season"), presenting cooking as the adjustment of taste toward a target.

Usage tips

  • A request can name the preferred level, such as 淡一点 (dàn yìdiǎn, "a little lighter"), because the word alone does not say whether the final taste should be stronger or milder.

Other meanings

  • seasoningnoun

Related words

  • 调味品tiáo wèi pǐnseasoningnoun
  • 调味剂tiáo wèi jìflavoring agentnoun

Word lists with this word