lên hơi
Definition
- Verb phrase:
- To begin to steam; to emit vapor: Describes the process where a substance, typically a hot liquid or food, starts to release visible steam or vapor due to heat.
- To become effervescent; to start fermenting: Used to describe the initial stage of fermentation in foods or beverages, where gas bubbles begin to form.
Usage Examples
- Verb phrase:
- Nồi canh nóng đang lên hơi. (The hot soup pot is steaming.)
- Mẻ rượu để vài ngày đã bắt đầu lên hơi. (The batch of wine, left for a few days, has started to ferment.)
Advanced Usage
- The phrase is often used in culinary and traditional food preparation contexts to indicate a desired state of readiness or active fermentation.
Variants and Related Words
- Bốc hơi (v): to evaporate.
- Nước trong chảo đang bốc hơi. (The water in the pan is evaporating.)
Synonyms
- To steam: to give off steam or vapor.
- To ferment: to undergo fermentation.
Related Idioms
- While "lên hơi" itself is a descriptive phrase, it is sometimes used figuratively to imply something is becoming active or lively, similar to "gaining steam" in English, though this is less common.