煮
zyu
To cook in Cantonese is 煮 (zyu).
The verb 煮 is used to describe the act of preparing food for eating. In colloquial speech, you will often hear the phrase 煮飯, which literally means "cook rice" but is used generally to mean cooking a meal, even if rice is not the specific item being prepared.
Meaning: to prepare food for eating (verb)
Which one should you use?
While 煮 is a general term for cooking, often implying boiling or simmering, the term 炒 is used specifically when referring to the stir-frying method common in Cantonese cuisine.
How does it change in a sentence?
To indicate that the action of cooking has been completed, you can add the aspect particle 咗 after the verb, forming 煮咗.
How do you pronounce it?
zyu
Did you know?
- Cantonese speakers use the specific term 燉 for 'double-steaming', a medicinal cooking method where a ceramic pot is nested inside another to maintain a precise temperature.
- In Cantonese, the phrase 煮飯 ('cook rice') is so common that it is often used as a synonym for 'doing housework' or 'managing the home' in traditional contexts.
- While 煮 is the common verb, the formal term 烹飪 is used in cookbooks and culinary schools to treat cooking as an academic or professional art.
Examples in context
- 渠煮嘢麻麻。She does not cook well.This sentence shows how to describe someone's cooking ability using 煮.Tatoeba #12134266 by thesilhouette, translation #1099626 by olafurw
- 佢唔係好識煮飯。She can't cook well.This sentence uses 煮 to express a level of proficiency in cooking.Tatoeba #392988 by nickyeow, translation #310921 by CK
- 今日我要煮晚飯。I have to cook dinner today.This sentence demonstrates using 煮 to express a requirement to prepare a meal.Tatoeba #12109771 by thesilhouette, translation #257600 by CK
- 佢成日喺屋企煮食。He/she cooks at home every day.
- 我鍾意煮嘢畀朋友食。I enjoy cooking for my friends.
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple discusses what to prepare for dinner at home.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting你今晚想煮咩呀？nei5 gam1 maan5 soeng2 zyu2 me1 aa3?What do you want to cook tonight?
- 俊傑 Chun Kit我想煮雞蛋炒飯。ngo5 soeng2 zyu2 gai1 daan6 caau2 faan6.I want to cook egg fried rice.
- 雅婷 Nga Ting好呀，我幫你煮湯。hou2 aa3, ngo5 bong1 nei5 zyu2 tong1.Okay, I will help you cook soup.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit多謝你，雅婷。do1 ze6 nei5, ngaa5 ting4.Thank you, Nga Ting.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
