蘸 zhàn to dip
How to remember 蘸: 艹 grass + 酉 wine + 焦 scorched = to dip. At the barbecue, Uncle Li wipes the grass off his shoes, pours a glass of wine and grabs a scorched sausage to dip into the mustard.
Component breakdown
蘸 = 艹 grass + 醮 ritual
- 艹 grass
- 醮 ritual
- 酉 wine
- 焦 scorched
At the barbecue, Uncle Li wipes the grass off his shoes, pours a glass of wine and grabs a scorched sausage to dip into the mustard.
How it is used
- A concrete everyday verb: to dip something briefly into a liquid: 蘸酱 (zhàn jiàng) dip in sauce, 蘸醋 (zhàn cù) dip in vinegar, 蘸墨 (zhàn mò) dip a brush in ink.
- Distinct from 泡 (pào, soak/steep): 蘸 is a quick in-and-out dip, not prolonged soaking. Rarely forms compounds.