四分熟
sìfēnshú
The English phrase "medium rare" is translated into Chinese as 四分熟 (sìfēnshú). Wiktionary also lists 三成熟 (sānchéngshú).
Meaning: cooked somewhat lightly (adj)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 四分熟 | sìfēnshú |
| 三成熟 | sānchéngshú |
The term is used to describe meat that is cooked somewhat lightly.
What does it mean word for word?
The term 四分熟 literally means "four parts cooked", implying a scale of doneness where the meat is cooked to a certain fraction.
Which one should you use?
While 四分熟 is common, 三成熟 is also used. This second term literally means "three parts cooked" and can describe a similar level of medium-rare or medium doneness depending on the restaurant's scale.
How do you pronounce it?
sìfēnshú
Did you know?
- In Chinese cuisine, meat is traditionally sliced thin and cooked quickly, so the concept of 'doneness' levels like 四分熟 only became common with the rise of Western-style steakhouses.
- The character 熟 (shú) in 四分熟 means 'cooked' or 'ripe', but it is also the same character used to describe a 'familiar' person or a '熟人' (acquaintance).
- When ordering steak in China, the degree of doneness is often treated as a fraction of a whole, with 一分熟 (one-tenth cooked) representing rare and 十分熟 (ten-tenths cooked) representing well done.
Examples in context
- 请问您的牛排要几分熟？May I know how you'd like your steak cooked?
- 请五分熟，谢谢。Medium rare, please. Thank you.
- 你喜欢吃什么程度的牛排？What doneness level do you like for your steak?
- 我喜欢吃半熟的牛排，中间有一点点粉红色。I like it medium rare with a little bit of pink in the center.
- 我想吃四分熟的牛排。Wǒ xiǎng chī sì fēn shú de niúpái.I want to eat a medium rare steak.
- 请把这份肉做成四分熟。Qǐng bǎ zhè fèn ròu zuò chéng sì fēn shú.Please cook this meat medium rare.
- 这块肉只有四分熟吗？Zhè kuài ròu zhǐyǒu sì fēn shú ma?Is this piece of meat only medium rare?
Example conversation
Yuting and Junjie are ordering dinner at a steakhouse.
- 俊杰 Junjie雨婷，你想怎么吃你的牛排？Yǔtíng, nǐ xiǎng zěn me chī nǐ de niú pái?Yuting, how would you like your steak?
- 雨婷 Yuting我想要四分熟的。Wǒ xiǎng yào sì fēn shú de.I would like it medium rare.
- 俊杰 Junjie好的，我也点四分熟。Hǎo de, wǒ yě diǎn sì fēn shú.Okay, I will order medium rare too.
- 雨婷 Yuting俊杰，这样吃最嫩了。Jùnjié, zhè yàng chī zuì nèn le.Junjie, it is the most tender this way.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “medium rare” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
