蒸

• Pinyin: zhēng
• Hanzi breakdown: 蒸 = 艹 (grass/plant) + 烝 (steam — fire heating water)

Meaning

To steam; to cook by steaming. Also used for evaporation or rising vapour.

A fundamental Chinese cooking method. Compounds include 蒸汽 (steam/vapour), 蒸发 (evaporate), 蒸笼 (bamboo steamer), and 蒸蒸日上 (thriving/flourishing like rising steam).

Examples

1. 广东人喜欢用蒸的方式烹饪海鲜，保留食材的鲜美。 People in Guangdong like to steam seafood to preserve its fresh flavor.
2. 夏日午后，柏油路面被烈日炙烤，热气蒸腾而上。 On summer afternoons, the sun bakes the asphalt and heat rises off the road.
3. 她把包子放入蒸笼，大火蒸十五分钟即可出锅。 She put the buns into the steamer; steam them over high heat for fifteen minutes and they’re ready.

Usage Guide

Context: cooking, science, daily life

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 清蒸鱼是一道经典的粤菜，讲究火候和新鲜。(Steamed fish is a classic Cantonese dish that demands precise timing and freshness.)
• 蒸是一种健康的烹饪方式，能最大程度保留营养。(Steaming is a healthy cooking method that preserves nutrients to the greatest extent.)

Don't Say

• 我蒸了一下衣服 — for clothes, use 熨 (iron) or 蒸汽熨烫 (steam iron); 蒸 alone implies cooking

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 艹 (grass radical — plant material used for steaming) + 烝 (phonetic component, also meaning steam)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal