nai4泥
Jyutpingnai4
Yalenàih
Definition
To puree; to mash, grind, or crush food into a paste or puree.
colloquialfooddaily actions
How it's used
Primarily used in the context of food preparation to describe the action of crushing ingredients into a soft, paste-like consistency. It is almost always paired with a resultative complement like 爛 to emphasize the completion of the mashing process. While it shares the same character as the noun for mud, its verbal usage is distinct and specific to kitchen tasks.
Examples
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the noun 泥 meaning mud or soil. When used as a verb, it requires a resultative complement to sound natural in a sentence, otherwise it feels incomplete to a native speaker.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
