Meaning
烹饪 refers to the act of preparing food by cooking, or the art of cooking itself. It's a relatively formal term that encompasses various cooking methods and techniques. The word is more sophisticated than casual terms like 做饭 (to cook a meal) and often appears in contexts related to culinary skills, cooking courses, or professional food preparation.
Usage
烹饪 is commonly used in formal or educational contexts, such as cooking classes, culinary schools, or when discussing cooking as a skill or profession. In everyday conversation, people more often say 做饭 (to cook a meal) or 炒菜 (to stir-fry dishes). 烹饪 collocates with words like 技术 (technique), 方法 (method), and 艺术 (art).
Examples
- 01她对烹饪很感兴趣，每周都去上烹饪课。, .She's very interested in cooking and takes cooking classes every week.
- 02学习烹饪不仅要掌握技术，还要了解食材的特性。, .Learning to cook requires not only mastering techniques but also understanding the characteristics of ingredients.
Characters
Common collocations
- 烹饪技术cooking technique
- 烹饪方法cooking method
- 烹饪课程cooking course
- 中式烹饪Chinese-style cooking
Origin
Both characters contain the fire radical (火), reflecting the central role of heat in cooking. 烹 originally meant to boil, while 饪 specifically referred to cooking food until done. Together they form a compound emphasizing the complete process of food preparation.