酱 (jiàng) — (noun) thick fermented paste (e.g., soybean paste, broad bean paste); (noun) jam; fruit preserve; (verb) to marinate or cook with a thick sauce (typically soy-based)
Definition
酱 is a thick savory paste made from fermented soybeans or broad beans — the noun behind 酱油 ('soy sauce'). The verb sense means to marinate food in this paste. Not the same as 糊 (glue/scorched) or 粘贴 (stick).
noun
thick fermented paste (e.g., soybean paste, broad bean paste)jamfruit preserve
verb
to marinate or cook with a thick sauce (typically soy-based)
Examples
- 酱。Wǒ zǎo cān xǐ huan chī miàn bāo pèi cǎo méi jiàng.I like to eat bread with strawberry jam for breakfast.
- ，酱。Zuò má là huǒ guō shí, wǒ jiā le yì diǎn dòu bàn jiàng.When making spicy hot pot, I added a little broad bean paste.
- ，。Mā ma bǎ ròu jiàng le yí xià, wèi dào hěn hǎo.Mom marinated the meat with sauce, and it tasted great.
Origin
Sound + meaning六书liùshū
形声xíngshēngMost 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 醬; 酱 is its simplified writing.
Meaning part形符xíngfú
酉酉yǒudrink
Sound part声符shēngfú
將
將jiāng醬jiàng
Same sound today
The traditional form 醬 pairs 將, which suggests the sound, with 酉, a drink; the simplified 酱 is a later abbreviation.
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