2 · 40 words

Food, ingredients and tastes

Meat, fish, vegetables and fruit, everyday dishes, and the five tastes.

Meat words are built on one pattern, the animal plus 肉(ròu): 牛肉(niúròu), 猪肉(zhūròu), 羊肉(yángròu). Tastes are adjectives and take 很(hěn) or 太(tài) like any other: 太(tài)辣(là)了(le), too spicy. And soup, porridge and even yogurt are drunk rather than eaten, with 喝(hē).

The words

Verb (2)

做饭(zuòfàn)to cook; to make a mealVerb2

今天(jīntiān)我(wǒ)做饭(zuòfàn)，你(nǐ)洗碗(xǐwǎn)。I will cook today, and you wash up.

做菜(zuòcài)to cook (dishes)Verb2

我(wǒ)爸爸(bàba)做菜(zuòcài)做(zuò)得(de)很(hěn)好(hǎo)。My dad is a very good cook.

With a degree complement the verb is repeated: 做菜(zuòcài)做(zuò)得(de)好(hǎo).

This list belongs to Food and drink — six lists and 240 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.