酱

• Pinyin: jiàng
• Hanzi breakdown: 酱 = 酉 (wine vessel/fermentation) + 将, fermented sauce

Meaning

Sauce; paste; jam; a thick condiment.

A general term for thick sauces and pastes used in cooking. Includes bean paste (豆瓣酱), peanut butter (花生酱), and fruit jams (果酱). Central to Chinese cuisine for seasoning.

Examples

1. 这道菜需要用甜面酱来调味，味道才正宗。 This dish needs sweet bean paste for seasoning to taste authentic.
2. 她早餐喜欢在面包上涂一层厚厚的草莓酱。 She likes to spread a thick layer of strawberry jam on her bread for breakfast.
3. 东北菜很多都离不开大酱，那是当地的特色调料。 Many Northeastern dishes rely on soybean paste — it's a local specialty condiment.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, food, everyday

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 这个酱太咸了。(This sauce is too salty.)
• 你喜欢什么口味的酱？(What flavor sauce do you like?)

Don't Say

• 把液体调味品称为酱 (酱 implies thickness — thin liquids like 醋 or 生抽 aren't 酱)

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 酉 (wine vessel, relating to fermentation) + 将 (phonetic). Sauces traditionally involved fermentation.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal