Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Badly cooked or poorly steamed: Used primarily to describe rice, especially sticky rice, or other grain-based foods that have been inadequately or improperly cooked, resulting in a hard, undercooked, or unsatisfactory texture.

Usage Examples

• Adjective:
  • Xôi này bị hấy. (This sticky rice is badly steamed.)
  • Cơm hấy khó ăn. (Badly cooked rice is difficult to eat.)

Advanced Usage

• The term is almost exclusively used in the context of food preparation, particularly traditional methods like steaming. It describes a specific culinary failure.

Variants and Related Words

• Hấp (v): to steam. This is the cooking action that, if done poorly, results in the state described by "hấy".
  • Hấp xôi phải đủ lửa. (Steaming sticky rice requires sufficient heat.)

Synonyms

• Undercooked: Not cooked enough.
• Badly steamed: Poorly prepared through steaming.
• Ill-cooked: Generally poorly prepared (food).

Notes on Usage

• "Hấy" is a specialized, somewhat regional term. It is not a common word in general modern conversation but is understood in contexts discussing food quality, especially traditional dishes.
• It functions as a descriptive adjective and is typically used with the verb (to suffer/be in a state of) to indicate the undesirable condition, e.g., .

1. Badly done (of rice, cake...)
   • Xôi hấy
     Sticky rice badly done (badly steamed)