Meanings of 燜
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About 燜
Podcast: 燜
Podcast: 燜
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AI Study Notes for 燜
煮 (zhǔ) vs 燉 (dùn) — use 燜 for slow cooking that melds flavors, while 煮 indicates boiling and 燉 refers to stewing.
Be cautious not to confuse 燜 with 煮 (zhǔ), which means to boil; the two methods differ in heat intensity and cooking time. 燜 is more formal compared to casual expressions for cooking, and it often appears in recipes that emphasize slow cooking. Common collocations include 燜肉 (mèn ròu - simmered meat) and 燜菜 (mèn cài - simmered vegetables).
Since 燜 is not part of the HSK vocabulary, learners should focus on related cooking terms and phrases that incorporate verbs for different cooking methods. Understanding the use of heat in cooking can help you differentiate it from other methods like 煮 (to boil) and 炒 (to stir-fry).
Learners often mistakenly use 煮 instead of 燜 when discussing slow cooking, thinking both mean the same. Remember, 燜 is for simmering, while 煮 is for boiling.
Pronunciation of 燜
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Etymology of 燜
Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 闷 represents the sound. Simplified form of 燜.
fire
Jason Etymology Detective
Case file: 燜
Phonosemantic compound. 火 represents the meaning and 闷 represents the sound. Simplified form of 燜.
- 1The meaning half火 carries the sense.
- 2The sound half悶 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
- 3The giveawayfire
- 4On the record aspictophonetic.
Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.
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Decomposition of 燜
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How to say to simmer, to cook over a slow fire in Chinese
“to simmer, to cook over a slow fire” in Chinese is燜
The character 燜 (mèn) means to simmer or cook over a slow fire. It is commonly used in culinary contexts, indicating a cooking method that allows flavors to meld while preventing food from burning. This technique is often associated with stews and braises in Chinese cuisine.
When to use 燜
Be cautious not to confuse 燜 with 煮 (zhǔ), which means to boil; the two methods differ in heat intensity and cooking time. 燜 is more formal compared to casual expressions for cooking, and it often appears in recipes that emphasize slow cooking. Common collocations include 燜肉 (mèn ròu - simmered meat) and 燜菜 (mèn cài - simmered vegetables).
燜 or something close to it
煮 (zhǔ) vs 燉 (dùn) — use 燜 for slow cooking that melds flavors, while 煮 indicates boiling and 燉 refers to stewing.
What learners get wrong
Learners often mistakenly use 煮 instead of 燜 when discussing slow cooking, thinking both mean the same. Remember, 燜 is for simmering, while 煮 is for boiling.
Write 燜
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Word Family of 燜
Compound Meaning
What does 焖 mean?
Frequently Asked Questions about 燜
You can say '我喜欢燜肉，味道很好' (Wǒ xǐhuān mèn ròu, wèidào hěn hǎo) which means 'I like simmered meat, it tastes great.'
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