faan1 zaa1翻渣
Definition
To decoct Chinese herbal medicine for a second time, or to reprocess already brewed tea leaves.
How it's used
Originally referring to the practice of re-boiling medicinal herbs to extract remaining essence, this term has expanded to describe the act of reusing something that has already been exhausted. It carries a sense of thriftiness or making the most out of limited resources. In modern contexts, it can also metaphorically describe repeating an old idea or rehashing a topic that has already been discussed.
Examples
Related words
Common phrases
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 翻炒, which is used for stir-frying or metaphorically recycling old news or gossip. 翻渣 specifically implies extracting value from something that has already been used once, whereas 翻炒 implies simply repeating or bringing up something again.
Grammar color guide
Grammar guides
- QuestionsFrom yes or no questions to asking who, what, where, and when. The patterns you need to ask questions naturally in Cantonese.
- ClassifiersCantonese puts a classifier between a number and a noun, and a bare classifier on its own can mean the. Learn the common ones and how to use them.
- ComparisonsHow to say bigger than, the most, the same as, and not as good as. Cantonese uses 過 where Mandarin uses 比, and that catches a lot of learners out.
