沥干 in 30 Seconds
- A common verb for 'draining' water from food or objects.
- Essential for following Chinese recipes and doing household chores.
- A resultative verb: Action (Drip) + Result (Dry).
- Different from wiping dry (擦干) or air-drying (晾干).
The Chinese verb 沥干 (lì gān) is a fundamental term used primarily in domestic, culinary, and technical contexts to describe the process of removing excess liquid from an object, typically by allowing it to drip off naturally or by using a strainer. At its core, the word is a resultative compound: 沥 (lì) means to drip, strain, or trickle, while 干 (gān) means dry. Together, they describe the action of making something dry by letting the liquid drip away. Unlike wiping something dry with a towel (擦干) or blowing it dry (吹干), 沥干 implies a passive reliance on gravity and time.
- Culinary Context
- In the kitchen, this is perhaps the most common word you will encounter in recipes. Whether you are washing spinach, boiling noodles, or preparing tofu, the instruction to 'drain' is almost always 沥干. For example, after boiling pasta, you place it in a colander to 沥干水分 (drain the water content). This step is crucial in Chinese cooking to ensure that excess water doesn't dilute the flavors of the sauces or cause oil to splatter during stir-frying.
洗净蔬菜后，请务必将其沥干，否则炒菜时会溅油。 (After washing the vegetables, please make sure to drain them, otherwise the oil will splash when stir-frying.)
- Household Chores
- Outside the kitchen, 沥干 is used for laundry and cleaning. When you wash a raincoat or an umbrella, you don't usually put them in a dryer; you hang them up to 沥干. Similarly, after washing dishes by hand, you place them on a rack to 沥干. It suggests a process where you aren't actively doing the drying yourself, but rather setting the object in a position where the water can escape.
把洗好的碗放在架子上沥干。 (Put the washed bowls on the rack to drain.)
- Technical and Scientific Use
- In a laboratory or industrial setting, 沥干 refers to the separation of solid and liquid phases through filtration or sedimentation. If a chemist precipitates a solid, they will 沥干 the remaining liquid to harvest the crystals. It conveys a sense of thoroughness—waiting until the very last drop has fallen away.
In summary, 沥干 is an essential 'action-result' verb. It bridges the gap between washing and the next stage of preparation. Understanding this word helps learners follow Chinese instructions accurately, especially in culinary contexts where 'water management' is key to texture and safety. It is a very practical word that you will use daily if you live in a Chinese-speaking environment.
Using 沥干 (lì gān) correctly requires an understanding of its grammatical structure as a resultative verb. In Chinese, the result (干 - dry) is attached directly to the action (沥 - drip/strain). This structure is very common in Mandarin and dictates how objects are placed in the sentence.
- The 'Ba' (把) Construction
- Because 沥干 involves a change in the state of an object (from wet to dry), it is frequently used with the 把 (bǎ) particle. This is the most natural way to give instructions or describe the process. The formula is: Subject + 把 + Object + 沥干. For example, '把水沥干' (Drain the water).
请把面条沥干后再加入酱汁。 (Please drain the noodles before adding the sauce.)
- Using with '水分' (Shuǐfèn)
- Often, the word 'water' (水) is replaced by 'water content' or 'moisture' (水分) to sound more precise. You will see phrases like 沥干水分 (drain the moisture). This is common in professional cooking videos or cookbooks.
将豆腐切块，沥干水分备用。 (Cut the tofu into cubes, drain the moisture, and set aside.)
- Passive and Descriptive Uses
- You can also use 沥干 as a state. For instance, if you want to say 'The dishes are already drained,' you could say '碗已经沥干了'. The '了' indicates the completion of the state change. It can also be used as an adjective-like modifier: '沥干的面条' (drained noodles).
这些沥干了的蘑菇现在可以炒了。 (These drained mushrooms are now ready to be stir-fried.)
When using 沥干, remember that it specifically implies the removal of liquid by gravity. If you are using a towel, use 擦干 (cā gān). If you are using heat, use 烘干 (hōng gān). Using the specific term 沥干 makes your Chinese sound much more native and precise, especially in the kitchen or during housework.
You will encounter 沥干 (lì gān) in several specific real-world scenarios. Knowing these will help you recognize the word instantly when it's spoken or written in its natural habitat.
- 1. Cooking Shows and Recipe Apps
- If you watch Chinese cooking influencers on TikTok (Douyin) or YouTube, you will hear this word constantly. Whenever they wash vegetables or boil meat to remove impurities (焯水), the next step is always to 沥干. It is a 'procedural' word that signals the transition from washing/boiling to the actual cooking.
焯水后捞出，沥干水分，起锅烧油。 (After parboiling, take it out, drain the water, and heat the oil in the pan.)
- 2. Kitchen Product Packaging
- If you buy a dish rack, a colander, or a salad spinner in China, the packaging will likely mention its 沥干 function. A dish rack is often called a 沥干架 (lì gān jià) or 沥水架 (lì shuǐ jià). The word is used to describe the primary purpose of these household tools.
- 3. Daily Home Life
- Parents or roommates will use this word when doing chores. '把伞沥干再收起来' (Drain the umbrella before putting it away) is a common phrase on a rainy day. It is a word that describes a habit of cleanliness and order—making sure things aren't dripping before they are stored.
雨伞别直接放进包里，先沥干。 (Don't put the umbrella directly in your bag; drain it first.)
- 4. Commercial Kitchens and Restaurants
- In professional settings, hygiene standards often specify how equipment should be 沥干. You might see signs near sinks reminding staff to '沥干餐具' (drain the tableware) to prevent bacterial growth in standing water. Here, the word takes on a tone of professional requirement.
By paying attention to these contexts, you'll see that 沥干 is not just a vocabulary word, but a cultural marker of how Chinese people handle food and household items. It emphasizes the importance of 'dryness' as a precursor to the next action, whether that's frying, eating, or tidying up.
For English speakers, the concept of 'drying' is broad, but Chinese uses very specific verbs based on the method used. Using 沥干 (lì gān) incorrectly is a common stumbling block for CEFR A2/B1 learners.
- Mistake 1: Confusing 沥干 with 擦干 (Cā gān)
- 沥干 is passive (gravity does the work). 擦干 is active (you use a towel or cloth). If you tell someone to '沥干桌子' (drain the table), it sounds very strange because a table is flat and water won't drip off it effectively; you should say '擦干桌子' (wipe the table dry).
❌ 别忘了用毛巾把手沥干。
✅ 别忘了用毛巾把手擦干。 (Don't forget to wipe your hands dry with a towel.)
- Mistake 2: Confusing 沥干 with 晾干 (Liàng gān)
- 晾干 means to air-dry. While 沥干 is often the first step of air-drying (getting the big drops off), 晾干 implies the whole process of waiting for the air to evaporate the moisture. You 沥干 vegetables before cooking, but you 晾干 clothes on a balcony.
- Mistake 3: Forgetting the Resultative '干' (Gān)
- Some learners just say '沥水' (drain water). While '沥水' is a valid verb-object phrase, 沥干 is the resultative form that emphasizes the object becoming dry. In instructions, '沥干' is usually preferred because it specifies the desired end state.
❌ 把意面沥。
✅ 把意面沥干。 (Drain the pasta [until dry].)
- Mistake 4: Using it for Non-Liquids
- 沥干 is strictly for liquids (usually water or oil). You cannot 沥干 a messy room or 沥干 a problem. It is a physical, literal action. For metaphorical 'draining' (like draining energy), Chinese uses words like 耗尽 (hào jìn) or 榨干 (zhà gān).
By avoiding these common errors, you will demonstrate a nuanced understanding of Chinese 'resultative complements' and action-specific verbs, which is a key milestone in moving from a beginner to an intermediate speaker.
To truly master 沥干 (lì gān), it's helpful to compare it with its synonyms and related terms. This helps you choose the most precise word for every situation.
- 沥干 vs. 控干 (Kòng gān)
- These two are almost identical in many contexts. However, 控干 often implies 'tilting' or 'holding' something at an angle to let the water run out (the '控' character relates to control/holding). 沥干 is the more general term for dripping. In a recipe, they are often interchangeable.
- 沥干 vs. 滤 (Lǜ)
- 滤 means 'to filter'. You 滤 coffee or 滤 juice to remove solids. 沥干 focuses on the solid part you want to keep and making it dry. For example, you 滤 juice (you want the liquid), but you 沥干 noodles (you want the noodles dry).
用滤网沥干虾仁。 (Drain the shrimp using a mesh strainer.)
- 沥干 vs. 烘干 (Hōng gān)
- 烘干 involves heat. You use a machine (dryer) or an oven to 烘干 things. If you are making dried fruit, you might 沥干 the initial wash water, then 烘干 the fruit slices in a dehydrator.
- 沥干 vs. 抽干 (Chōu gān)
- 抽干 means 'to pump dry'. This is used for large bodies of water, like 抽干池塘 (drain a pond) or 抽干地下室 (pump out a basement). You would never use 沥干 for a pond because dripping isn't efficient enough for that scale!
Learning these distinctions allows you to move beyond basic 'dry' (干) and start describing actions with the specificity of a native speaker. In the kitchen, 沥干 remains your best friend, but keep these others in your 'toolbelt' for other rooms in the house.
Fun Fact
The character '沥' is also used in '沥青' (asphalt/bitumen), which is a thick liquid that 'drips' or flows very slowly.
Pronunciation Guide
- Pronouncing 'lì' as 'lǐ' (3rd tone).
- Pronouncing 'gān' as 'gǎn' (3rd tone).
- Confusing 'lì' with 'lì' (strength).
Examples by Level
把水沥干。
Drain the water.
Simple 'Ba' construction.
洗完苹果要沥干。
Drain the apple after washing.
Verb after the object.
碗在沥干。
The bowl is draining.
Progressive state.
请沥干蔬菜。
Please drain the vegetables.
Imperative sentence.
面条沥干了吗？
Are the noodles drained?
Question with 'ma'.
先沥干，再吃。
Drain first, then eat.
Sequence with 'xian...zai'.
不用擦，沥干就行。
No need to wipe, just draining is fine.
Contrast between 'ca' and 'ligan'.
水还没沥干。
The water hasn't drained yet.
Negative with 'hai mei'.
把洗好的菜沥干水分。
Drain the moisture from the washed vegetables.
Adding 'shuifen' (moisture) as the object.
放在架子上沥干吧。
Put it on the rack to drain.
Using 'fangzai...shang' for location.
你需要把豆腐沥干。
You need to drain the tofu.
Using 'nixuyao' (you need to).
雨伞要在门口沥干。
The umbrella needs to be drained at the door.
Location 'zai menkou'.
等水沥干了再放进冰箱。
Wait until the water is drained before putting it in the fridge.
Conditional 'deng...zai'.
这把勺子没沥干。
This spoon isn't drained.
Negative 'mei'.
把意面沥干，不要留水。
Drain the pasta, don't leave any water.
Clarifying 'bu yao liu shui'.
洗完杯子记得沥干。
Remember to drain the cups after washing.
Using 'jide' (remember).
在炒肉之前，必须把肉表面的水沥干。
Before stir-frying meat, you must drain the water on the surface.
Prepositional phrase 'zai...zhiqian'.
将洗净的蘑菇放在篮子里沥干。
Place the cleaned mushrooms in a basket to drain.
Using 'jiang' instead of 'ba' for formal tone.
如果没沥干水分，炸鱼时会很危险。
If the water isn't drained, it will be dangerous when frying fish.
Conditional 'ruguo'.
这些餐具已经沥干了，可以收起来了。
These utensils are already drained; they can be put away.
Resultative 'le' indicating completion.
用漏勺把饺子捞出来并沥干。
Use a slotted spoon to scoop out the dumplings and drain them.
Using 'bing' to connect actions.
这种蔬菜需要充分沥干才能保持口感。
This vegetable needs to be fully drained to maintain its texture.
Adverb 'chongfen' (fully).
沥干后的茶叶可以用来做香包。
The drained tea leaves can be used to make sachets.
Noun phrase 'ligan hou de'.
雨衣挂在阳台上沥干比较快。
Hanging the raincoat on the balcony to drain is faster.
Comparison 'bijiao kuai'.
制作沙拉时，一定要把生菜彻底沥干。
When making a salad, be sure to drain the lettuce thoroughly.
Adverb 'chedi' (thoroughly).
厨师强调，海鲜必须沥干后才能下锅。
The chef emphasized that seafood must be drained before going into the pan.
Reported speech structure.
这个沥干架的设计非常人性化，水可以直接流进水槽。
The design of this drain rack is very user-friendly; water can flow directly into the sink.
Describing a product's function.
由于没有沥干水分，这道菜的味道变淡了。
Because the water wasn't drained, the flavor of this dish became bland.
Causal 'youyu...le'.
先将大米浸泡一小时，然后捞出沥干备用。
First soak the rice for an hour, then take it out and drain it for later use.
Procedural 'xian...ranhou...beiyong'.
实验室里，研究员正在沥干沉淀物。
In the lab, the researcher is draining the precipitate.
Technical context.
为了防止细菌滋生，洗过的抹布要沥干挂起。
To prevent bacterial growth, washed rags should be drained and hung up.
Purpose clause 'weile'.
这种面条煮熟后需要用冷水冲洗并快速沥干。
These noodles need to be rinsed with cold water and quickly drained after cooking.
Compound actions 'chongxi bing ligan'.
在进行化学滴定前，必须确保容器已经完全沥干。
Before performing chemical titration, you must ensure the container is completely drained.
Formal scientific context.
该工艺的关键在于如何高效地沥干矿渣中的多余水分。
The key to this process lies in how to efficiently drain the excess water from the slag.
Abstract subject 'guanjian zaiyu'.
他细心地将每一片洗过的叶子都沥干，仿佛在完成一件艺术品。
He carefully drained every single washed leaf, as if completing a work of art.
Simile 'fangfu...yiyang'.
沥干水分不仅是为了口感，更是为了延长食材的保鲜期。
Draining moisture is not only for texture, but also to extend the shelf life of ingredients.
Correlative 'bujin shi...gengshi'.
由于排水系统堵塞，积水无法及时沥干，导致路面受损。
Because the drainage system was blocked, the standing water could not be drained in time, causing road damage.
Passive implication of drainage.
这种古法造纸术要求将纸浆在竹帘上均匀摊开并自然沥干。
This ancient papermaking technique requires spreading the pulp evenly on a bamboo screen and letting it drain naturally.
Historical/Cultural context.
在腌制蔬菜之前，若不沥干水分，腌出来的菜容易腐烂。
Before pickling vegetables, if the water is not drained, the pickled vegetables will rot easily.
Conditional 'ruo...jiu'.
这种新型材料具有极佳的疏水性，水滴在其表面会迅速沥干。
This new material has excellent hydrophobicity; water droplets will drain off its surface rapidly.
Technical property description.
屋檐下的冰棱在午后的阳光下渐渐融化，水珠顺着瓦片缓缓沥干。
The icicles under the eaves gradually melted in the afternoon sun, and the water droplets slowly drained along the tiles.
Literary description of nature.
在漫长的历史长河中，那些沉重的苦难仿佛已被岁月的筛子沥干，只剩下坚韧的意志。
In the long river of history, those heavy sufferings seem to have been drained by the sieve of time, leaving only a resilient will.
Metaphorical/Philosophical use.
这种精密仪器的清洗过程极其繁琐，最后的沥干环节甚至需要在无尘室中进行。
The cleaning process for this precision instrument is extremely tedious, and the final drainage stage even needs to be carried out in a cleanroom.
Complex sentence structure.
他习惯于在清晨将洗净的毛笔挂在笔架上，静静等待墨汁沥干。
He is accustomed to hanging his washed brushes on the rack in the early morning, quietly waiting for the ink to drain.
Cultural nuance.
建筑师巧妙地设计了倾斜的露台，以确保雨水能迅速沥干，不留积水。
The architect cleverly designed the sloping terrace to ensure that rainwater can drain quickly without leaving standing water.
Professional design context.
在处理这类化学废料时，首要任务是将其中的有害液体彻底沥干并进行中和处理。
When dealing with this type of chemical waste, the primary task is to thoroughly drain the harmful liquids and neutralize them.
Formal procedural instruction.
那场暴雨过后，整座城市仿佛被重新洗涤了一遍，空气中的湿气正被微风慢慢沥干。
After that rainstorm, the whole city seemed to have been washed anew, and the moisture in the air was being slowly drained by the breeze.
Poetic personification of air.
这种古老的过滤工艺，利用重力作用使杂质沉淀，最后沥干上层清液。
This ancient filtration process uses gravity to settle impurities and finally drains the clear liquid from the upper layer.
Technical historical description.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
— Drain the water and set aside for later use. Very common in recipes.
豆腐切块，沥干水分备用。
— Drain the bowls (on a rack).
洗完碗，记得把碗沥干。
— Drain and then put into the pot/pan.
虾仁沥干后下锅炒。
— Put it to the side to drain.
把洗好的水果放在一旁沥干。
— Drain the remaining liquid.
请小心沥干剩余液体。
— Drain the oil (from fried food).
用纸巾沥干油。
— Metaphorical (rare): To let sweat dry off.
他在阴凉处沥干汗水。
— Poetic: To let tears dry.
她沥干眼泪，重新开始。
— To drain rainwater (from umbrellas/coats).
把雨衣上的雨水沥干。
— To let ink dry (usually calligraphy).
等墨迹沥干再折叠。
Idioms & Expressions
— Literally: To spit out one's heart and shed one's blood. Idiomatically: To work with bitter-hard effort.
他呕心沥血地完成了这部著作。
Literary— Literally: To show one's liver and drain one's gallbladder. Idiomatically: To be extremely sincere/loyal.
他们是披肝沥胆的好兄弟。
Literary— Note: Usually '历历在目'. This is a common pun/mistake in water-related contexts.
往事历历在目。
General— Neat and tidy; efficient. (Contains the character '干').
他办事干净利落。
Colloquial— Extremely thirsty. (Contains '干').
他说得口干舌燥。
General— Air-dried meat. (Related process).
藏区有很多风干肉。
Culinary— Very clean.
把桌子擦得干干净净。
Colloquial— Dry on the outside, strong on the inside (rare).
这种材料外干内强。
Technical— Unclean; dirty.
不干不净，吃了没病 (folk saying).
Colloquial— Dry wood and fierce fire (metaphor for passion).
两人如干柴烈火。
LiteraryWord Family
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
Related
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Imagine a **L**eaky (**lì**) faucet dripping until everything is **G**one (**gān**) and dry.
Visual Association
Visualize a colander (strainer) with water dripping out of the bottom into a sink.
Word Web
Challenge
Go to your kitchen, wash a piece of fruit, and say '我要把它沥干' (Wǒ yào bǎ tā lì gān) out loud.
Word Origin
The character 沥 (lì) consists of the water radical (氵) and the phonetic component 历 (lì). Historically, it referred to straining wine or liquid dripping through a sieve. 干 (gān) is a pictograph of a weapon or tool, later used to mean 'dry'.
Original meaning: To drip or strain liquid until the substance is dry.
Sino-Tibetan / Mandarin ChineseSummary
瀝干 (lì gān) specifically means to 'drip-dry' or 'drain' using gravity. Use it whenever you use a colander or a dish rack. Example: 把面条沥干 (Drain the noodles).
- A common verb for 'draining' water from food or objects.
- Essential for following Chinese recipes and doing household chores.
- A resultative verb: Action (Drip) + Result (Dry).
- Different from wiping dry (擦干) or air-drying (晾干).
Related Content
This Word in Other Languages
More food words
一两
B1Fifty grams; a Chinese unit of weight (approx. 50g).
一斤
B1Half a kilogram; a Chinese unit of weight (approx. 500g).
一袋
B1A bag of.
少一点儿
A2A bit less.
多一点儿
A2A bit more.
一口
B1A mouthful; a bite; a small amount (of food or drink).
一瓶
B1A bottle of.
一碗
B1Measure word for a bowl of food.
一盒
B1A box of.
一杯
B1Measure word for a cup of liquid.
