Definition

1. Verb:
   • To cook; to prepare food by applying heat: The basic meaning of "nấu ăn" is the act of making food ready to eat by using methods like boiling, frying, steaming, or baking.
   • To do cooking; to perform the task of preparing a meal: It refers to the overall activity of preparing dishes, often for a specific meal.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Mẹ tôi thường nấu ăn vào buổi tối. (My mother usually cooks in the evening.)
  • Anh ấy đang học cách nấu ăn. (He is learning how to cook.)
  • Chúng tôi sẽ tự nấu ăn ở nhà thay vì đi nhà hàng. (We will cook at home instead of going to a restaurant.)

Advanced Usage

• "nấu ăn cho...": to cook for (someone).
  • Cô ấy nấu ăn cho cả gia đình. (She cooks for the whole family.)
• "biết nấu ăn": to know how to cook.
  • Bạn có biết nấu ăn không? (Do you know how to cook?)
• "nấu ăn ngon": to cook well; to cook delicious food.
  • Chị gái tôi nấu ăn rất ngon. (My older sister cooks very well.)

Variants and Related Words

• Nấu nướng (verb): A common synonym, also meaning to cook. It can sometimes imply a more involved or skilled cooking process.
  • Cô ấy rất thích nấu nướng. (She really enjoys cooking.)
• Nấu (verb): The root verb meaning "to cook" or "to boil". It is often used with a specific object (e.g., - to cook rice, - to make soup).
• Đầu bếp (noun): Chef; cook (the person).
• Bữa ăn (noun): Meal.

Synonyms

• Làm bếp: To do kitchen work; to cook.
• Chế biến thức ăn: To process/prepare food (more formal or technical).

Related Phrases

• Nấu ăn tại nhà: Home cooking.
  • Nấu ăn tại nhà thường lành mạnh hơn. (Home cooking is often healthier.)
• Sách dạy nấu ăn: Cookbook.
• Kỹ năng nấu ăn: Cooking skills.

Idioms and Common Expressions

• "Trăm nghe không bằng một thấy, trăm thấy không bằng một nấu ăn": A playful adaptation of a proverb, emphasizing that practical experience (like cooking) is more valuable than just hearing or seeing. (Literally: Hearing a hundred times isn't equal to seeing once, seeing a hundred times isn't equal to cooking once.)
• "Dễ như nấu ăn": (As) easy as cooking. Used to say something is very simple or easy to do. (Note: This idiom is informal and context-dependent, as cooking can also be considered difficult.)

verb

1. to cook ; to do cooking