It’s a little late, but I’m here to drop some Chinese vocabulary that I taught my friend last Sunday, in case you want to learn Chinese too.
- I introduced the concept of “seasonal ingredients” (shí lìng cài 时令菜) — foods that taste best in a particular season, like water spinach (kōng xīn cài 空心菜) in summer.
- 靠近 (kàojìn) – means “to be close to” or “to approach.” Example: 别靠太近 (Bié kào tài jìn — Don’t get too close).
远离 (yuǎnlí) – means “to stay away from” or “to keep distance.” Example: 远离危险 (Yuǎnlí wēixiǎn — Stay away from danger). - 错过 (cuòguò) – means “to miss out on something.” Example: 别错过《奥德赛》这部电影 (Bié cuòguò “Àodésài” zhè bù diànyǐng — Don’t miss the movie The Odyssey).
- 薯条 (shǔtiáo) – French fries; the word literally means “potato strips.”
- The four seasons: 春夏秋冬 (chūn, xià, qiū, dōng) – all have first-tone pronunciation except xià (summer), which is fourth tone. A mnemonic: it’s so hot in summer that you need to bring the temperature down — so, a falling tone!
- 菜 (cài) – refers not only to vegetables but also to meat dishes (荤菜 hūn cài).
卤菜 (lǔcài) – braised dishes. Though cooked in water, the long cooking time and various spices make them flavorful. Many ingredients can be braised, including beef, pork, chicken, duck, goose, seaweed, tofu, and some vegetables.