蒸

zhēng

HSK 7

蒸 — zhēng

1. to evaporate; to vaporize

   水在高温下会慢慢蒸发。 shuǐ zài gāowēn xià huì mànmàn zhēngfā — Water will slowly evaporate at high temperatures.

2. (of cooking) to steam (food)

   我们今晚蒸鱼，好吃又健康。 wǒmen jīnwǎn zhēngyú hǎochī yòu jiànkāng — Tonight we'll steam fish — tasty and healthy.

3. torch made from hemp stalks or bamboo (archaic)

   古人夜里点蒸照明，简陋却实用。 gǔrén yèlǐ diǎn zhēng zhàomíng jiǎnlòu què shíyòng — In ancient times people lit hemp-stalk torches at night for lighting—simple but practical.

4. finely chopped firewood (old)

   冬天农家常备一些蒸来生火取暖。 dōngtiān nóngjiā chángbèi yīxiē zhēng lái shēnghuǒ qǔnuǎn — In winter, farmers often keep some finely chopped firewood to make a fire for warmth.