Cooking Soup Together | Learn Chinese in English

Sentence explanations

1. 这个食谱看起来很简单，做晚餐正合适。

   This recipe looks simple enough for dinner.

   这个

   this

   食谱

   recipe

   看起来

   looks; seems

   简单

   simple

   做

   make; cook

   晚餐

   dinner

   正合适

   just right

   More detail

   这个 means “this” and is a demonstrative placed before the noun it identifies. In this sentence, it points to the recipe being discussed. Chinese demonstratives do not mark English-style noun gender or plural by themselves; 这些 means “these” for multiple items. 食谱 means “recipe.” It is a noun for written or otherwise specified instructions for preparing food. A useful pattern is 这个 + noun, as in 这个问题 (“this question”). 看起来 means “looks” or “seems” here. The form is built from 看 (“look; see”) and 起来, which in this pattern helps express an appearance or impression. It is commonly followed by a description: 看起来很忙 means “looks very busy.” This does not assert that the subject literally performs a deliberate act of looking. 简单 means “simple.” It is a descriptive word that can follow 很 in a statement such as 这个方法很简单 (“this method is very simple”). Here it describes the recipe as it appears. 做 means “make” or “cook” here. Its exact English translation depends on the object: 做饭 is “cook” or “prepare food,” while 做作业 is “do homework.” The form 做 itself is not marked for English-style tense or subject agreement. 晚餐 means “dinner,” the evening meal. In 做晚餐, it is the object of 做, giving the reusable pattern “cook/prepare dinner.” 正合适 means “just right” or “exactly suitable.” 合适 means “suitable; appropriate,” while 正 strengthens it to “exactly” or “just.” For example, 这个时间正合适 means “This time is just right.” Together, 这个食谱 is “this recipe,” and 看起来很简单 says that it appears simple. The following 做晚餐 identifies the purpose—using it to prepare dinner—and 正合适 says that it is exactly suitable for that purpose. The whole utterance therefore means: “This recipe looks simple enough for dinner.”

2. 你烧水的时候，我可以切蔬菜。

   I can chop the vegetables while you boil water.

   你

   you

   烧水

   boil water

   的时候

   when; while

   我可以

   I can

   切

   chop; cut

   蔬菜

   vegetables

   More detail

   你 means “you” here, the subject of the first clause. In Mandarin, this pronoun does not change for number or gender. Example: 你做饭。 — “You cook.” 烧水 means “boil water.” 烧 is the verb “to heat or boil,” and 水 is the noun “water.” In this sentence, the bare verb phrase describes the activity occurring during the relevant time; Mandarin verbs do not change form for present or future time. Example: 我烧水。 — “I boil water.” 的时候 turns the preceding activity into a time expression: 烧水的时候 means “while boiling water” or “when you boil water.” The pattern V + 的时候 can introduce an action that is in progress or the time at which something happens. Example: 吃饭的时候，不要看手机。 — “Don’t look at your phone while eating.” 我可以 means “I can” in this sentence. 我 is “I,” and 可以 is a modal verb expressing ability or possibility here. It comes before the next verb: 我可以 + V means “I can V.” Example: 我可以帮忙。 — “I can help.” 切 means “chop” or “cut.” It is a general verb for cutting, and the object or context specifies what is being cut. Here it is the action the speaker can perform. Example: 请切洋葱。 — “Please chop the onion.” 蔬菜 is the noun “vegetables.” It can refer to vegetables as a category or to vegetables collectively in a cooking context. Example: 这些蔬菜很新鲜。 — “These vegetables are very fresh.” The sentence follows the reusable pattern 你 + 烧水 + 的时候， 我 + 可以 + 切 + 蔬菜: “While you boil water, I can chop the vegetables.” The first clause sets the time with V + 的时候; the second clause states what the speaker can do during that time. The comma separates the time clause from the main clause.

3. 汤应该煮多久？

   How long should the soup cook?

   汤

   soup

   应该

   should

   煮

   cook

   多久

   how long

   More detail

   汤 means “soup” here. It is a noun and can be used as the topic or object of a sentence. Example: 我喜欢汤。 — “I like soup.” 应该 means “should” and expresses what is advisable or expected. It comes before the verb it modifies: 你应该休息。 — “You should rest.” In this sentence, it does not mean that the soup itself has an obligation; it marks the recommended cooking duration. 煮 means “to cook by boiling or simmering.” It is a verb whose form does not change for person or number. Example: 把鸡蛋煮熟。 — “Cook the egg until it is done.” In the supplied sentence, 煮 describes the soup’s cooking process. 多久 asks about duration: “how long?” It commonly follows the verb or verb phrase whose duration is being asked about. The reusable pattern is ……多久？, as in 你学习多久？ — “How long do you study?” Together, 汤 identifies the food, 应该 asks about the advisable action or expectation, 煮 supplies the cooking action, and 多久 asks for its duration. Thus 汤应该煮多久？ means “How long should the soup cook?”

4. 让汤一直煮到蔬菜变软。

   Let it cook until the vegetables are soft.

   让

   let; allow

   汤

   soup

   一直

   continuously

   煮

   cook; boil

   蔬菜

   vegetables

   变软

   become soft

   More detail

   让 appears here in the pattern 让 + object + verb phrase: it tells the listener to let or cause the object to undergo the following action. In this sentence, 汤 is the object, so 让汤... means “let the soup...”. The subject of 让 is not stated. 汤 means “soup” here. It is a noun and can be used directly as the object in a cooking instruction, as in 喝汤 (“drink soup”). 一直 adds the idea of continuing without stopping or changing the action. With 煮, 一直煮 means “keep cooking” or “continue to boil/cook.” It describes the duration of the action, not a separate cooking method. 煮 is the verb “to cook” or, for liquid food, “to boil.” The form does not show tense or person; surrounding words and context establish how the action is viewed. For example, 把水煮开 means “boil the water until it boils,” where 煮 is the cooking action. 蔬菜 means “vegetables.” It is a noun. In this sentence it appears after 到 and identifies what reaches the condition described by 变软; it is not the object of 煮. 变软 means “become soft.” 变 marks a change into a new state, and 软 describes that resulting state. This differs from 很软 (“very soft”), which describes an existing degree of softness rather than the change into softness. For example, 面包变软了 means “The bread became soft.” The structure 一直 + verb + 到 + change-of-state clause expresses continuing the action up to an endpoint. Thus, 一直煮到蔬菜变软 means “keep cooking until the vegetables become soft.” The subject of 变软 is explicitly 蔬菜, while the object being kept cooking is 汤. Together, 让汤一直煮到蔬菜变软 produces the complete meaning: “Let it cook until the vegetables are soft.”

5. 我们要不要先尝尝，再多加些盐？

   Should we taste it before we add more salt?

   我们

   we

   要不要

   shall we...?

   先

   first

   尝尝

   have a taste

   再

   then

   多

   more

   加

   add

   盐

   salt

   More detail

   我们 means “we,” including the speaker and at least one other participant. Chinese pronouns do not mark grammatical gender, and 我们 does not by itself specify the exact number of people. Example: 我们一起做饭。 — “We cook together.” 要不要 is a reusable choice-question pattern: 要不要 + verb asks whether someone wants to or should do something. Here, with 我们, it makes a suggestion: “shall we…?” It is not a simple statement that the participants definitely want something. Example: 我们要不要先吃饭？ — “Shall we eat first?” 先 means that an action happens before another relevant action. In this sentence, tasting comes before adding salt. A common sequence pattern is 先 A，再 B — “do A first, then do B.” 尝尝 comes from the verb 尝, “to taste.” Repeating this one-syllable verb commonly presents the action as a brief try or makes the suggestion sound natural and light: 尝尝 is “have a taste.” It does not change the basic action into a different verb. Example: 你先尝尝。 — “Taste it first.” The object is omitted here; in the supplied context, the food being prepared is understood. 再 marks the later step in a sequence, often corresponding to “then” or “and only after that.” Together with 先, it makes the order explicit: taste first, add salt afterward. 多 means “more” or “to a greater amount.” Here it modifies the amount added, rather than describing the salt itself. In 多加, it helps form the reusable idea “add more.” 加 is the verb “to add.” Its base form is already 加 here; Chinese does not change this verb for person or number. Example: 请加一点水。 — “Please add a little water.” 盐 is the noun “salt.” In 加盐, it is the material being added. 些 in the sentence indicates an unspecified amount, so 多加些盐 means “add some more salt,” not a precisely measured quantity. The sentence combines the suggestion question 我们要不要 with the ordered actions 先尝尝，再多加些盐: “Shall we taste it first, then add more salt?” The omitted object of 尝尝 is understood from the context as the food being prepared, while 盐 is the explicit object of 加. This is a natural way to suggest checking the taste before making a further seasoning adjustment.

6. 先尝尝。

   Taste it first.

   先

   first

   尝尝

   have a taste

   More detail

   先 means “first” here and is placed before the action to mark its priority in sequence. The same word can also mean “before” when introducing an event, as in 先尝尝，再加盐 (“taste it first, then add salt”). 尝尝 is the verb 尝 (“to taste”) with reduplication. In this use, reduplication presents the action as a brief, light, or approachable action: “have a taste.” It does not change the basic verb into a different lexical meaning. Chinese commonly leaves the subject unspoken when it is clear from the situation, so this sentence does not state the subject in its wording. Together, 先 + 尝尝 gives “taste first” or, with the understood object supplied by the fixed translation, “Taste it first.” The short form is suitable for a direct suggestion or instruction in a cooking situation.

7. 然后我们可以仔细调味。

   Then we can season it carefully.

   然后

   then

   我们

   we

   可以

   can

   仔细

   carefully

   调味

   season

   More detail

   然后 means “then” and places this action after an earlier step. In the supplied sequence, it follows tasting: 先尝尝 means “Taste it first.” A reusable pattern is 先……，然后…… (“first …, then …”). 我们 is the first-person plural pronoun “we,” referring to the speaker together with at least one other person. It does not specify the group’s exact size. For example, 我们现在开始。 means “We’ll start now.” 可以 expresses ability or permission; here, with 我们, it means “we can.” Its base form is already the ordinary present-time form and does not change for plural subjects. 我们可以试试。 means “We can give it a try.” 仔细 is an adverb meaning “carefully” or “with attention.” It modifies the action that follows rather than naming the thing being acted on. For example, 仔细看看。 means “Take a careful look.” 调味 is the verb “to season,” especially to add or adjust flavoring. It can be used without an overt object when the food being discussed is already understood, as here. 调味 is also commonly used as a verb-object-like compound: 调 means “adjust/add” and 味 refers to flavor, but the full form 调味 should be learned as the normal verb “season.” 我们给汤调味。 means “We season the soup.” Together, 然后 + 我们可以 gives “Then we can,” 仔细 specifies how the action is carried out, and 调味 supplies the action. The whole utterance is therefore “Then we can season it carefully.” The object is understood from the surrounding cooking context rather than stated in this sentence. The wording is neutral and suitable for ordinary conversation.

8. 现在汤更好喝了。

   The soup tastes better now.

   现在

   now

   汤

   soup

   更好喝

   tastes better

   More detail

   现在 means “now” and places the situation in the present. It can also be used in reusable time expressions, such as 现在开始 (“start now”). 汤 means “soup.” It is a noun and can be used directly as the subject: 汤很好喝。 means “The soup tastes good.” 更好喝 describes an improvement in taste. 好喝 means that a drink or liquid food tastes good, while 更 makes the comparison stronger: 更好喝 means “tastes better.” The adjective-like expression 好喝 is formed with 好 (“good”) and 喝 (“drink”), but here the whole expression describes taste rather than an action of drinking. For example, 这茶更好喝。 means “This tea tastes better.” The final 了 in 更好喝了 marks a change of state: the soup has become better-tasting. It is not part of the comparative word 更; together, 更好喝了 expresses that the soup now tastes better than before. Thus 现在 sets the time, 汤 identifies the subject, and 更好喝了 states the change in its taste. The whole utterance means: “The soup tastes better now.”

9. 下次我们可以多加些香草。

   Next time we can add more herbs.

   下次

   next time

   我们

   we

   可以

   can

   多

   more

   加

   add

   些

   some

   香草

   herbs

   More detail

   下次 means “next time.” It is a time expression placed at the beginning here, setting the occasion for the rest of the sentence. A reusable pattern is 下次 + clause: “next time, …” 我们 means “we/us.” It is the first-person plural pronoun. Chinese pronouns do not change for grammatical case, so the same form can serve as subject or object; here it is the subject of the clause. 可以 means “can” here, expressing that the proposed action is possible or available. It commonly appears before the verb: 可以 + verb, as in 我可以帮忙。—“I can help.” 多 means “more” in 多加. Here it modifies the amount of the action 加, rather than describing the noun 香草. The pattern 多 + verb means to do something to a greater extent or in a greater amount. 加 means “add.” Its base form is also 加; Chinese verbs generally do not change form for person or number. In this sentence, it is the main action verb and takes 些香草 as what is added. 些 indicates an unspecified amount, roughly “some” or “a certain amount.” It does not state an exact number. In 些 + noun, it forms a small quantity expression; with 多, 多加些 means “add more [of it].” 香草 means “herbs” here. It is a noun referring to herbs used as an ingredient or flavoring. The word can also be understood more literally as fragrant herbs, but “herbs” is the intended meaning in this sentence. Together, 下次 sets the time, 我们可以 presents the action as possible for “us,” and 多加些香草 means “add more herbs.” The complete utterance is: “Next time we can add more herbs.”