醬 (jiàng) - Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condiments & also used metaphorically for thick, paste-like substances.

醬Tone 4

jiàng ｜ 18 strokes ｜ radical:

健傑

醬 · jiàng

Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condiments made from fermented beans, grains, fruits, or other ingredients;

also used metaphorically for thick, paste-like substances.

Sauce, paste, jam — refers to thick condimentsalso used metaphorically for thick, paste-like substances.

Usage highlights

Soy sauceBean pasteChili sauceSesame pasteFruit jamBarbecue sauce

Synonyms

Antonyms

  • 清汤— clear soup (opposite of thick sauce)
  • 白水— plain water (opposite of flavorful sauce)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • Soy sauce is essential in Chinese cooking (酱油).
  • This is sesame paste (芝麻酱).
  • I like strawberry jam (草莓酱).
  • He made a garlic sauce for the noodles (蒜酱).

Collocations

  • Soy sauce(酱油)
  • Bean paste(豆酱)
  • Chili sauce(辣椒酱)
  • Sesame paste(芝麻酱)
  • Fruit jam(果酱)
  • Barbecue sauce(烤肉酱)

Idioms

  • To add fuel to the fire(火上加油酱)
  • To be in a pickle(酱缸里泡着)
  • To make a mess of things(搞得一团酱)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Soy-based sauces and pastes have been fundamental to Chinese cuisine for over 2,000 years, with fermentation techniques dating to ancient times.
  • The character appears in many culinary terms reflecting China's diverse regional cuisines and preservation methods.
  • In traditional Chinese medicine, some fermented sauces were believed to have digestive and health benefits.

FAQ