nấu ăn
[nəw˧˦ ʔan˧˧]
The English word "cooking" is translated into Vietnamese as nấu ăn.
nấu ăn refers to one's ability to prepare food or the general concept of cookery. While nấu ăn is a general term, the word nấu specifically refers to the cooking process and indicates the act of preparing food. If you are specifically grilling, roasting or baking, you would use the word nướng.
Meaning: one's ability to prepare food, cookery (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase nấu ăn is a compound of nấu, meaning to cook or boil and ăn, meaning to eat.
How does it change in a sentence?
To turn the verb phrase nấu ăn into a formal noun meaning 'the activity of cooking' or 'the matter of cooking', you can add the classifier việc in front of it to create việc nấu ăn.
Did you know?
- When someone is an expert at nấu ăn, they are often called a đầu bếp, which literally translates to 'head of the pot'.
- In many Vietnamese households, you will hear the term đi nấu cơm (go cook rice) used to mean 'go cook a meal', even if the actual meal includes many other dishes.
- While nấu ăn means 'cooking', the word ăn also appears in many idioms to describe 'consuming' things that are not food, such as 'consuming' a loss in gambling or 'consuming' a bribe.
Examples in context
- Tôi thích nấu ăn.I like cooking.Tatoeba #13640362 by leucammieuvu, translation #2738418 by CK
- Peter rất giỏi nấu ăn.Peter is very good at cooking.Tatoeba #13594882 by leucammieuvu, translation #13591583 by LeviHighway
- Bạn có thích nấu ăn không?Do you like cooking?Tatoeba #5147749 by truongap, translation #953202 by CK
- luộc rauboiling vegetables
- rán cáfried fish
- rán khoai tâyfried potatoes
- hầm thịtstewed meat
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple is discussing their weekend plans at home.
- HùngNấu ăn là niềm đam mê của anh.Cooking is my passion.
- ChiVậy anh có thể nấu món gì cho em không?Then can you cook something for me?
- HùngTất nhiên rồi, em muốn ăn gì?Of course, what do you want to eat?
- ChiEm muốn thử kỹ năng nấu ăn của anh.I want to try your cooking skills.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry nấu ăn, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
