Cooking Soup Together | Learn Chinese in English

About This Lesson

Use Cooking Soup Together to practice Chinese conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

这个食谱看起来很简单，做晚餐正合适。

zhè ge shí pǔ kàn qǐ lái hěn jiǎn dān, zuò wǎn cān zhèng hé shì This recipe looks simple enough for dinner.

你烧水的时候，我可以切蔬菜。

nǐ shāo shuǐ de shí hou, wǒ kě yǐ qiē shū cài I can chop the vegetables while you boil water.

汤应该煮多久？

tāng yīng gāi zhǔ duō jiǔ How long should the soup cook?

让汤一直煮到蔬菜变软。

ràng tāng yì zhí zhǔ dào shū cài biàn ruǎn Let it cook until the vegetables are soft.

我们要不要先尝尝，再多加些盐？

wǒ men yào bú yào xiān cháng chang, zài duō jiā xiē yán Should we taste it before we add more salt?

先尝尝。

xiān cháng chang Taste it first.

然后我们可以仔细调味。

rán hòu wǒ men kě yǐ zǎi xì tiáo wèi Then we can season it carefully.

现在汤更好喝了。

xiàn zài tāng gèng hǎo hē le The soup tastes better now.

下次我们可以多加些香草。

xià cì wǒ men kě yǐ duō jiā xiē xiāng cǎo Next time we can add more herbs.

Word by Word

这个 “这个” means “this” and identifies the recipe being discussed in “这个食谱”. It is placed before a noun to point out a particular item, such as when choosing or describing something nearby or currently under discussion.

食谱 “食谱” means “recipe”, the instructions for preparing a dish. In “这个食谱”, it is the thing being judged as simple, and it can be used when discussing what to cook or how to prepare it.

看起来 “看起来” means “seem” or “look” in “这个食谱看起来很简单”. “看” contributes looking or seeing, while “起来” makes the expression describe the impression something gives. It is used before a description when giving an impression based on appearance or observation.

很 “很” adds degree to the description “简单” in “很简单”, meaning “quite” or “very” simple here. It is placed before a describing word and is useful when giving a degree-based description of a recipe, task, or object.

简单 “简单” means “simple” or “not difficult” in “很简单”. Here it describes the recipe as easy enough to use for dinner, and it can be used to describe the difficulty or complexity of a task or plan.

做 “做” means “make” or “prepare” in “做晚餐”. It describes preparing a meal, and it is commonly used before the name of the meal or food being prepared when talking about cooking at home.

晚餐 “晚餐” means “dinner”, the evening meal, in “做晚餐”. It names the meal the speakers plan to prepare, and it can be used when discussing an evening meal or deciding what to prepare for it.

正合适 “正合适” means “just right” or “exactly suitable” in “做晚餐正合适”. “正” emphasizes an exact fit, while “合适” means suitable. It is useful when deciding that something fits a particular purpose or situation.

你 “你” means “you” and refers to the person being addressed in “你烧水的时候”. It appears before the listener’s action and is used when assigning, describing, or coordinating that person’s activity.

烧 “烧” means “boil” or “heat” in “烧水”. Here it describes heating water for cooking, and it is commonly used with “水” when talking about preparing boiling water in the kitchen.

水 “水” means “water” and is the thing being heated in “烧水”. It is used as the object of the cooking action when someone prepares water for a recipe or another household task.

的 In “你烧水的时候”, “的” links the action phrase “你烧水” with “时候” to form a time expression. This structure is used when one action or situation sets the time for another action, such as coordinating two cooking tasks.

时候 “时候” means “time” or “when” in “你烧水的时候”, referring to the time during which the listener boils water. It follows an action or situation to describe when another event happens.

我 “我” means “I” or “me” and is the person who can chop the vegetables in “我可以切蔬菜”. It is used before the speaker’s action when offering, describing, or taking responsibility for something.

可以 “可以” means “can” or “be able to” in “我可以切蔬菜”. Here it presents the speaker’s ability or willingness to do the task, and it is placed before an action when offering or discussing what someone can do.

切 “切” means “cut” or “chop” in “切蔬菜”. It describes preparing vegetables with a cutting action, and it is used before the food or ingredient that is being cut.

蔬菜 “蔬菜” means “vegetables” and is the object of “切” in “切蔬菜”. It names the ingredients being prepared, and it can be used when discussing ingredients, chopping, or adding vegetables to a dish.

汤 “汤” means “soup” in “汤应该煮多久” and “让汤一直煮到蔬菜变软”. It is the dish being cooked and tasted, and it can be used as the topic or object when discussing soup preparation.

应该 “应该” means “should” in “汤应该煮多久”, asking what cooking duration is appropriate or expected. It is placed before an action when asking for or expressing suitable advice about what to do.

煮 “煮” means “cook” or “boil” in “汤应该煮多久” and “一直煮到蔬菜变软”. Here it refers to cooking the soup until the vegetables reach the needed texture, and it is used with food or a dish when discussing cooking.

多久 “多久” means “how long” in “汤应该煮多久”, asking about the duration of cooking. It commonly follows an action when asking how much time that action should continue.

让 “让” means “let” or “allow” in “让汤一直煮到蔬菜变软”. It introduces the thing that is allowed to continue and the resulting action, and it is useful when giving an instruction to allow something to proceed.

一直 “一直” means “continuously” or “all the way” in “一直煮到蔬菜变软”. It shows that the cooking continues without stopping before the stated endpoint, and it can be used before an action that continues until a result or time is reached.

到 “到” means “until” in “煮到蔬菜变软”, marking the endpoint of the cooking action. It is used after an action and before the result, condition, or time that ends or limits that action.

变 “变” means “become” or “change” in “蔬菜变软”. It introduces a change into a new condition, and it can be placed before a word describing the state that something reaches.

软 “软” means “soft” in “蔬菜变软”, describing the vegetables’ texture after cooking. It is used after “变” to state the result the vegetables should reach, which is useful when checking whether food is cooked.

我们 “我们” means “we” or “us” and refers to the two speakers in “我们要不要先尝尝” and “我们可以仔细调味”. It is used before a shared action when people are deciding or planning what to do together.

要不要 “要不要” asks “shall we?” or “whether to” in “我们要不要先尝尝”. It combines “要” and “不要” to present the choice of doing or not doing an action. It is useful for making a suggestion or asking someone to decide together.

先 “先” means “first” in “先尝尝，再多加些盐”. It marks the action that should happen before the next one, and it is useful for organizing steps in a recipe or another sequence of tasks.

尝尝 “尝尝” means “have a taste” in “先尝尝” and refers to tasting the soup before adding more salt. The repeated form presents the tasting as a brief, light action, and it is useful when checking flavor during cooking.

再 “再” means “then” in “再多加些盐”, showing that adding salt comes after tasting. Together with “先尝尝”, it organizes two actions in order and is useful when explaining what should happen next.

多 “多” means “more” in “多加些盐”, indicating an amount greater than the amount already present or used. It comes before the action “加” and is useful when asking someone to increase the amount of an ingredient or action.

加 “加” means “add” in “加些盐” and “多加些盐”. It describes putting an ingredient into the soup, and it is commonly followed by the ingredient being added during cooking or seasoning.

些 “些” indicates an unspecified amount in “多加些盐”. It follows “多加” here to mean adding some additional salt, and it is useful when the exact amount is not stated.

盐 “盐” means “salt” and is the seasoning to be added in “多加些盐”. It names the ingredient being adjusted after tasting, and it can be used as the object of an adding or seasoning action.

然后 “然后” means “then” or “afterward” in “然后我们可以仔细调味”. It introduces the action that follows the previous step, and it is useful for presenting the next step in a recipe or procedure.

仔细 “仔细” means “carefully” in “仔细调味”, describing how the seasoning should be done. It is placed before an action to show careful attention, which is useful when adjusting flavor or checking a result.

调味 “调味” means “season” or “adjust the flavor” in “仔细调味”. It refers to changing the taste by using seasonings after tasting the soup, and it is useful when preparing food and fine-tuning its flavor.

现在 “现在” means “now” in “现在汤更好喝了”, referring to the soup’s current condition after seasoning. It is commonly placed before a description or action when reporting what is true at the present time.

更 “更” means “more” or “even more” in “更好喝了”, comparing the soup’s current taste with its earlier taste. It is placed before the describing expression and is useful when showing that a quality has increased.

好喝 “好喝” means “taste good” or “be pleasant to drink” in “汤更好喝了”. It describes the taste of soup or another drinkable liquid, and it is useful when giving an opinion about flavor.

了 The sentence-final “了” in “更好喝了” marks a change of state: the soup has become better-tasting now. It is useful when reporting that a new condition or result has been reached.

下次 “下次” means “next time” in “下次我们可以多加些香草”, referring to a future occasion of cooking. It is placed before a planned action when suggesting what to do on a later occasion.

香草 “香草” means “herbs” in “多加些香草”, naming an ingredient used to add flavor. It is the ingredient the speakers plan to add in a future attempt, and it can be used after an adding action when discussing seasoning ingredients.

Grammar Points

先……，再……

先烧水，再切蔬菜。

xiān shāo shuǐ, zài qiē shū cài

First boil the water, then chop the vegetables.

先 introduces the first action, and 再 introduces the action that follows.

要不要……？

要不要先尝尝？

yào bú yào xiān cháng chang

Should we have a taste first?

要不要……？ is a common way to ask whether someone wants to do something.

Chinese Vocabulary

变软 verb

biàn ruǎn to become soft

多久 pron

duō jiǔ how long

简单 adj

jiǎn dān simple

看起来 verb

kàn qǐ lái to look; to seem

切 verb

qiē to chop; to cut

烧水 verb

shāo shuǐ to boil water

食谱 noun

shí pǔ recipe

蔬菜 noun

shū cài vegetables

晚餐 noun

wǎn cān dinner

要不要 phrase

yào bú yào should we; do we want to

一直 adv

yì zhí continuously; all the way

正合适 phrase

zhèng hé shì just right; suitable

Quiz

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

recipe

Show Answer

食谱

how long

Show Answer

多久

dinner

Show Answer

晚餐

to become soft

Show Answer

变软