火候 (huǒ hou): heat control; (fig.) mastery; (fig.) crucial moment

Meaning & Stroke Order

HSK 7noun

Word info

Pinyin
Meaning: heat control; (fig.) mastery; (fig.) crucial moment
Characters: 2
Part of speech: noun
HSK level: HSK 7

Full definitions

heat control
(fig.) mastery
(fig.) crucial moment

Chinese explanation

指烹饪时火力的强弱和加热时间的长短，掌握好火候是做菜的关键
也比喻做事情或说话时把握的分寸和时机，比如做事要讲究火候。

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Character breakdown

HSK 4

fire

Meaning unavailable yet.

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Example sentences

When stir-frying green vegetables, heat control is crucial: if the heat is too high, the vegetables easily burn; if it's too low, they won't be crisp enough.

To stew beef, first bring it to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer slowly. Only with good heat control will the meat become tender and flavorful.

When frying fish, he was afraid the skin would stick to the pan, so he kept flipping it. As a result, because the heat wasn't controlled well, the fish still fell apart.

When baking a cake, both the oven temperature and time must be precise. If the heat control is slightly off, the cake may collapse or burn.

To steam buns, wait until the water is boiling before putting them in the steamer. Only with sufficient heat will the buns be fluffy and soft, not hard.

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