汤
tāng
The English word "soup" is translated into Chinese as 汤 (tāng).
While English speakers often say "eat soup," in Chinese, you use the verb 喝 (hē, to drink) with 汤. You may also see the term 汤品 used to refer to "soups" as a general category of food, such as on a menu. Additionally, 酒酿汤 refers to a specific type of sweet soup made with fermented rice.
Meaning: dish (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 汤 is the general term for soup, 羹 specifically refers to thick or starchy soups.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In certain regions, the term 酒酿汤 is used specifically for sweet soups made with fermented rice.
How do you pronounce it?
tāng
Did you know?
- In some traditional contexts, 汤 can refer to the water used for bathing, such as in the phrase for 'bathwater'.
- Traditional Chinese medicine often prescribes specific types of 汤 (decoctions) as medicine, blurring the line between a culinary dish and a medicinal tonic.
- The simplified character for 汤 is quite unusual because its original form, 湯, contained a radical representing 'sun' or 'brightness' at the top.
Examples in context
- 这汤好喝吗？Was the soup tasty?This sentence is useful for asking if the 汤 is tasty.Tatoeba #9959078 by GlossaMatik, translation #1769362 by wwkudu
- 这汤怎么做的？How did you make this soup?This sentence is useful for asking how the 汤 was prepared.Tatoeba #5100286 by mirrorvan, translation #4187891 by CK
- 我做了蘑菇汤。I made mushroom soup.This sentence is useful for stating that one has made mushroom 汤.Tatoeba #13839306 by JackyJiaqiSun, translation #12581633 by Danika_Dakika
- Wǒ xǐhuan hē tāng. (我喜欢喝汤。)I like to drink soup.
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a small restaurant during lunch.
- 志强 Zhiqiang佳怡，你想喝什么汤？Jiāyí, nǐ xiǎng hē shénme tāng?Jiayi, what soup do you want to drink?
- 佳怡 Jiayi我想喝玉米汤。Wǒ xiǎng hē yùmǐ tāng.I want to drink corn soup.
- 志强 Zhiqiang这里的玉米汤很不错。Zhèlǐ de yùmǐ tāng hěn bùcuò.The corn soup here is very good.
- 佳怡 Jiayi那我们点这个吧。Nà wǒmen diǎn zhège ba.Then let's order this.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 汤, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
