酝酿 (yùn niàng) — to ferment (of alcohol or chemicals); to be brewing, to be in the making (of a crisis, storm, change); to deliberate, to mull over (an issue); to hold preparatory discussions
Definition
酝酿 (yùn niàng) covers both literal fermentation and figurative 'brewing' — a crisis simmering, or quietly working over a plan before acting. Compared to 琢磨 or 斟酌, it emphasizes gradual buildup rather than careful weighing of options.
verb
to ferment (of alcohol or chemicals)to be brewingto be in the making (of a crisis, storm, change)to deliberateto mull over (an issue)to hold preparatory discussions
Examples
- 酝酿。Zhè zhǒng pú tao jiǔ xū yào yùn niàng liù gè yuè.This wine needs to ferment for six months.
- 酝酿。Yì chǎng shè huì biàn gé zhèng zài yùn niàng zhī zhōng.A social change is brewing.
- 酝酿。Huì yì qián wǒ men xiān yùn niàng yí xià fāng àn.Let's mull over the plan a bit before the meeting.
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