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黄酱 (huáng jiàng) — salted and fermented soybean paste (a common condiment in northern Chinese cuisine)

Definition

A salted, fermented soybean paste used mainly as a cooking ingredient in northern Chinese cooking (esp. Beijing). It is a base condiment rather than a dipping sauce.

noun
salted and fermented soybean paste (a common condiment in northern Chinese cuisine)
Measure word · 勺

Examples

  • 黄酱。
    Zuò zhè ge cài yào fàng huáng jiàng.
    To make this dish, you need to add huang jiang.
  • 黄酱。
    Wǒ mǎi le yì píng huáng jiàng.
    I bought a bottle of huang jiang.
  • 黄酱。
    Běi jīng rén cháng yòng huáng jiàng zuò fàn.
    Beijing people often cook with huang jiang.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

黄huángyellow
酱jiàngpaste

黄 “yellow” specifies the color of 酱 “paste”, a fermented soy paste.

Characters in this word

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 黃; 黄 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
田田tiánfield
Sound part声符shēngfú
炗
炗guāng黃huáng
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 黃 pairs 田 (field) with 炗 (light), which gives the sound; the simplified 黄 is a shorthand and its parts are not historical components.

Open 黄 →

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 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.

Open 酱 →
Appears in
Flavors & Seasonings

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