nấu ăn
[nəw˧˦ ʔan˧˧]
In Vietnamese, to cook is nấu ăn. Wiktionary also lists nấu and nấu chín.
Meaning: to prepare food for eating (verb)
Ways to say it
| Vietnamese | IPA |
|---|---|
| nấu ăn | [nəw˧˦ ʔan˧˧] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nəw˨˩˦ ʔaŋ˧˧] (Huế, narrow) |
| nấu | [nəw˧˦] (Hà Nội, narrow) [nəw˨˩˦] (Huế, narrow) |
| nấu chín | [nəw˧˦ t͡ɕin˧˦] (Hà Nội, word by word, narrow) |
The term refers to the act of preparing food for eating.
What does it mean word for word?
The core verb nấu literally refers to the act of cooking using liquid or heat, often implying boiling or simmering.
Which one should you use?
The word nấu refers to the process of cooking, whereas nấu chín specifically emphasizes the result of cooking something until it is fully cooked or edible. For the general activity or skill of cooking food, the compound form nấu ăn is more common.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
While nấu is the core verb, nấu ăn is the more common compound form used to describe the general activity or skill of cooking food.
What mistakes should you avoid?
To refer to a person who cooks as a profession, use the noun đầu bếp rather than using a verb form.
Did you know?
- The word chín used in nấu chín is a homonym that also means 'nine' and 'ripe'. In Vietnamese, the concept of being fully cooked and being ripe for a fruit is described by the same word.
- The word for a professional cook, đầu bếp, literally translates to 'chef head' or 'head of the kitchen'. The word bếp specifically refers to the stove or the kitchen area.
- Because nấu focuses on heat and liquid, you might need different verbs if you are specifically frying or roasting food.
Examples in context
- Anh ấy biết nấu ăn.He knows how to cook.This sentence shows how to use nấu to express knowing how to cook.Tatoeba #13845001 by leucammieuvu, translation #13844390 by rul
- Bạn giỏi nấu ăn nhỉ.You are a good cook.This sentence uses nấu to compliment someone's cooking ability.Tatoeba #9035418 by dotheduyet1999, translation #325767 by CK
- Vợ mình nấu ăn ngon.My wife is a good cook.This sentence uses nấu to describe someone's skill at cooking.Tatoeba #11534312 by OneJanuary, translation #1079109 by keira_n
- Tôi thích nấu ăn.I like to cook.
- Nhà hàng này có đầu bếp giỏi nấu ăn.This restaurant has a talented cook.
- Anh ta là một đầu bếp giỏi.He is a skilled cook.
- Anh ấy biết làm bếp rất giỏi.He knows how to cook very well.
- Mỗi tuần, tôi dành thời gian để nấu nướng.Every week, I dedicate time to cooking.
- Cô ấy rất giỏi nấu nướng.She is very skilled at cooking.
- 7 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lan and Minh are talking about their plans for dinner.
- LanTối nay anh có muốn nấu ăn không?Do you want to cook tonight?
- MinhAnh không biết nấu ăn, Lan ơi.I don't know how to cook, Lan.
- LanVậy để em nấu ăn cho.Then let me cook for you.
- MinhCảm ơn em, em thật tuyệt!Thank you, you are wonderful!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cook” translations and entries nấu ăn, nấu, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (nấu, chín) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
