gwan2滾滚
Jyutpinggwan2
Yalegwán
Definition
To boil; to heat liquid to its boiling point; also to prepare soup by boiling ingredients.
- to boil; for a liquid to reach its boiling point and bubble
- to cook or prepare soup by boiling ingredients in water
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Beyond the literal meaning of boiling water, this verb is frequently used in the context of making soup, where it implies a rapid, rolling boil. It is also a key component in the term 滾水, which is the standard way to refer to boiling water in a kitchen setting. When used in a metaphorical sense, it can describe someone who is extremely angry or agitated.
Examples
The water is boiling, put the noodles in quickly.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this word to mean boiling an egg, as that usually requires the verb 烚. While 滾 refers to the state of the liquid, 烚 is the specific action of cooking food submerged in boiling water.
Grammar color guide
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Verb
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Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
