(dùn) — to stew

Definition

炖 (dùn) means 'to stew' — slow-cooking food in liquid for a long time, gentler and longer than 煮 (boil) or 烧 (stir-fry/burn).

verb
to stew

Examples

  • Mā ma yòng xiǎo huǒ dùn le yì guō niú ròu.
    Mom stewed a pot of beef on low heat.
  • Zhè dào cài xū yào dùn liǎng gè xiǎo shí.
    This dish needs to be stewed for two hours.
  • Dōng tiān wǒ xǐ huan dùn luó bo tāng hē.
    In winter I like to stew radish soup and drink it.

Origin

Sound + meaning
六书liùshū
形声xíngshēng

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 燉; 炖 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
Sound part声符shēngfú
dūndùn
Same sound today

In the traditional form 燉, 火 shows fire and 敦 gives the sound; the simplified 炖 is a later shorthand.

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