淀粉

diànfěn

starch; amylum (C6H10O5)n

HSK 7

Character Breakdown

Understanding 淀粉 (diànfěn)

淀粉 refers to starch, a carbohydrate extracted from plants such as corn, potatoes, or rice. It is widely used in cooking and food production as a thickening agent or to improve texture.

Common Uses

In everyday conversation, 淀粉 often appears when discussing recipes, food ingredients, or industrial food processing. For example, 玉米淀粉 (corn starch) is a common type used to thicken sauces or soups.

Collocations and Patterns

  • 玉米淀粉 (corn starch): a specific type of starch from corn.
  • 淀粉含量 (starch content): used when talking about nutritional or chemical composition.
  • 加入淀粉 (add starch): common in cooking instructions.

Tips

淀粉 is a noun and usually appears after a quantity or descriptive word. It is not a verb or adjective. Avoid confusing it with (powder) alone, which can refer to various powders, not specifically starch.

When you hear or see 淀粉, think about its role in food texture and preparation, which helps you understand recipes or food labels better.

Example Sentences

淀粉是制作面条和糕点的重要原料。

Diànfěn shì zhìzuò miàntiáo hé gāodiǎn de zhòngyào yuánliào.

Starch is an important ingredient in making noodles and pastries.

这个食谱需要加入一些玉米淀粉来增加浓稠度。

Zhège shípǔ xūyào jiārù yīxiē yùmǐ diànfěn lái zēngjiā nóngchóu dù.

This recipe requires adding some corn starch to increase thickness.

淀粉在食品工业中常用作增稠剂和稳定剂。

Diànfěn zài shípǐn gōngyè zhōng cháng yòng zuò zēngchóu jì hé wěndìng jì.

Starch is commonly used as a thickener and stabilizer in the food industry.