(jiān) — to pan-fry; to sauté

Definition

煎 (jiān) means pan-frying in a shallow layer of oil with little or no stirring — the cooking method for eggs, tofu, meat. Compare with 炒, which is stir-frying ingredients tossed constantly in a wok.

verb
to pan-fryto sauté

Examples

  • Bǎ jī dàn jiān yí xià.
    Pan-fry the eggs for a bit.
  • Zhè ge ròu xū yào jiān shí wǔ fēn zhōng.
    This meat needs to be pan-fried for fifteen minutes.
  • Wǒ xǐ huan jiān dòu fu.
    I like to pan-fry tofu.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
huǒfire
Sound part声符shēngfú
qiánjiān
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

煎 is built from 前, which gives the sound, and 火, fire, for meanings involving heat.

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